Pencil grip and finger movements: what is really important?
What is a functional pencil grip for drawing and handwriting? How do young children learn to hold a pencil?
What is an effective pencil grip?
A good pencil allows the child to hold the pencil in the hand in such a way that small movements of the fingers and wrist can be used to move the pencil point in all directions on the paper.
How to change an ineffective grip
Once a young child has a well established grip pattern it can be very difficult to change it. Older children on the other hand, are often quite ready to make the suggested changes when they see that it makes handwriting more fluent and less tiring.
Training finger/wrist movements for drawing and handwriting
Once the child has learned to maintain a reasonably effective way of holding a pencil that provides a stable grip but also allows for small bending and straightening movements of the fingers, the next step is to train finger movements for producing small circles and short lines.
Shoulder/elbow movements for drawing long lines and moving the hand across the page
A combination of shoulder and elbow movements are used to position and move the hand on the paper for writing, as well as for drawing medium and long lines and curves.
Difficulties children have with shoulder control for drawing and handwriting
Drawing and handwriting involve coordination of shoulder and elbow movements to move the hands across the page and to draw long straight and curved lines. Children with movement difficulties (low muscle tone, joint hypermobility, DCD, autism) often lack shoulder strength, flexibility and coordination needed for effective control of these shoulder movements needed for drawing and handwriting.
