Does your child hold a pencil correctly? Take a quick look at how your kids hold their pencils. Does your child use a standard pencil grip?
The pencil should be pinched between the thumb and index finger. It should rest on the middle finger, with the ring and pinky fingers tucked below. The top of the pencil should rest on the meaty part of the hand between the index finger and thumb.
Does it really matter? Yes. It does matter. Some of our students have the bad habit of holding their pencils on their ring fingers. The fourth finger does not have the same range of motion as the middle finger. Kids (and adults for that matter) who hold the pencil on the fourth finger tend get hand cramps more often than people who hold the pencil correctly. Kids who hold pencils incorrectly tend to take fewer notes and often have trouble keeping up with classroom note-taking. Also, because the third finger is more mobile than the fourth, it is better suited for fluid writing, like cursive.
Isn't penmanship becoming obsolete? It is true that our children are using computers for more of their writing assignments, but some tasks, like math, will probably continue to be paper and pencil tasks. Essays, reports, and formal writing are generally done on the keyboard especially in the upper grades and in high school, but class notes, study guides, and note cards are often hand written. Kids who hold pencils correctly have an easier time with these activities.
How can parents help? Let's go back to the beginning. Look at how your child (or children) hold a pencil. If he or she uses an incorrect grip, try the following method: pinch, flip, tuck.
Pinch.
Flip.
Tuck.
Be warned. Your child will probably complain and say that this new way feels uncomfortable. That's OK. New things feel weird until we get used to them. Just ask Tiger Woods. A few years back, he changed his golf swing. If felt weird. He didn't do as well for awhile, but after the adjustment period, he seems to be doing quite well. If Tiger can change his swing, we can work as a team to change your child's pencil grip.
