15 Pencil Grips and Tools to Support Better Handwriting (2023)

FAQs

15 Pencil Grips and Tools to Support Better Handwriting? ›

Teachers have traditionally considered the correct pencil grasp to be the “dynamic tripod” grasp, where the thumb, index and middle fingers are holding the pencil.

Teachers have traditionally considered the correct pencil grasp to be the “dynamic tripod” grasp, where the thumb, index and middle fingers are holding the pencil.

Used correctly, a Pencil Grip can help develop fine motor skills and user control over their handwriting. Traditionally Pencil Grips are made with foam, silicone or moulded rubber. The pencil grip has helped reform the writing ability of countless children and adults, both able bodied and those with disabilities.

Tripod grip: This is a grip using three fingers of the hand - the thumb, index and middle fingers. A child typically develops this grip around the age of three or four. It is a functional grasp which is essential for a number of tasks, such as holding a pencil or fastening buttons.

Poor pencil grips can develop for several reasons: some children do not have the muscle strength and finger dexterity required to hold a pencil correctly; others may have been forced to use an inappropriate grip for the stage in their development (which research highlights as causing a poor grip style later on);

Pencil grips are a great tool to help a child's pencil grasp. Usually coming in bright colors, these tools can help those who have a hard time holding a pencil properly. Even adults can use them if recovering from a hand injury who has a weakened hand grasp.

The most common method for holding a pencil -- the same one you probably use for writing -- is the basic tripod grip. The thumb and forefinger form a triangle with the middle finger, with the form being supported by the ring finger and pinkie.

The Adaptive Tripod Grip is appropriate to use when low muscle tone or hyper mobility of the finger joints limits pinching and manipulating the pencil.

The answer is YES, it does matter!

How you hold your pencil really does make a difference—and it will also impact your writing. Your pencil grasp is directly related to handwriting speed and legibility, as having a mature grasp is more efficient and less tiring on your hands (Schwellnus, et al., 2012).

What are common incorrect pencil grips? ›

Some of the most common immature pencil grip include:

Thumb tuck (Thumb is tucked under index finger with no web space) Thumb wrap (Thumb is wrapped around the pencil and fingers) Bent wrist position. Lack of wrist stability on desk.

There are four common ways people can hold a pencil: a Dynamic Tripod Grip, a Lateral Tripod Grip, a Dynamic Quadrupod Grip and lastly, a Lateral Quadrupod Grip. The first Tripod hold is the Dynamic Tripod Grip, the most common way to hold a pencil.

In order to improve your handwriting in as little as 30 days, you will need to create a personalized improvement plan, practice daily, and work to refine your posture and technique. If you can dedicate 25 focused minutes per day to your handwriting practice, you can make noticeable improvements in about one month.

A 'static' grip is where the fingers are locked in their position, with the hand muscles doing little work. This pencil movement is, therefore, coming largely from the wrist and above. A 'dynamic grip' is where the fingers can move the pencil allowing for more precise drawing and writing.

Another surprising cause of incorrect pencil grasp is weak shoulder muscles. The muscles of the arms and shoulders are more involved than you might think in the act of grasping and writing, and if these muscles haven't been built up sufficiently, it can lead to an incorrect pencil grasp.

Tips to Improve Grip Strength

“Holding things of different sizes can help," says Malek. If you're working out, try using different grips with weight, including open and closed. Focusing specifically on strengthening the muscles in your lower arm and throughout your upper body will also help, says Malek.

By the age of 8 / 9 years old it can be very difficult to get a child to change their pencil grip especially if the old grip, like the quadrupod grip (Stage 4), is very similar to the new grip the dynamic tripod grip.

Cases of dysgraphia in adults generally occur after some trauma. The cause of the disorder is unknown, but in adults, it is usually associated with damage to the parietal lobe of the brain. Treatment varies and may focus on controlling writing movements and addressing impaired memory or other neurological problems.

Why do artists hold pencil differently? ›

By holding the pencil in different ways, we can instantly create variety in our drawings. Beyond this however, expanding the possibles of how the pencil is held will lead to new ways of making marks, expanding our drawing possibilities.

Simple writer's cramp is most often caused by the wrong placement of the pen in the hand, poor posture when writing, and using your hand too much. A further consequence of this muscle strain is that the writer can press down too hard on the paper. This in turn can lead to pain and muscle spasms.

Best School Supplies for ADHD: Early Elementary

Ticonderoga® Beginners' Elementary Pencils Fat pencils for little fingers have been around for decades, for a good reason. They are easier for younger hands to learn a proper pencil grasp.

Dynamic tripod grasp is where the child uses their finger muscles to control the pencil, rather than their forearm and upper arm. The use of the thumb, index, and middle finger allows them to have good pencil control.

Your middle finger should be supporting the pencil. These three fingers form a triangular, tripod sort of shape. "The barrel of the pencil sort of lays back on the hand, about where your knuckle is," Donica said. "That allows the fingers to be able to move and the wrist to control that tool pretty easily."

Triangular pencils can help encourage a tripod grasp – Triangular pencils encourage three fingers to hold the pencil as there are 3 sides, they are not a fool proof method of getting a correct grasp though so it is not essential, just a little help for some children!

The best pencil grip is a comfortable grip that allows the hands and fingers to move freely and easily when writing and drawing. Some children, however, hold their pencil very tightly and often press heavily on the page. As a result, a child may write in a slow and effortful manner or her hand may become tired or sore.

The thumb wrap grasp is what you see when you the end of the thumb is wrapped around the pointer finger. The pencil is supported with the tip of the pointer finger, and supported by the middle finger. The end of the thumb wraps around the pencil to support and stabilize the pencil.

Rolling Play-Doh into small balls. Squeezing a spray bottle with the pointer and middle fingers. Placing coins into a piggy bank. Holding a cotton ball in the palm with the ring and middle fingers while colouring, writing, or cutting.

How many types of grips are there? ›

There are two types of grips: power grip and pinch grip.

What is it? A three fingered or tripod grasp is when the thumb, index finger and middle finger work together to pick up small objects. Why is it important? A tripod grasp is used throughout the day and is used for feeding ourselves, dressing ourselves and holding a crayon or pencil efficiently.

The thumb grips above the index finger. The index and middle finger grip above the thumb. The whole hand is arched like a fist around the pen. The thumb is usually on the opposite side and holding against it.

Grip the pen about lightly 1/3 of the way from its tip. Rest your middle finger under the pen and position your ring and pinky fingers underneath it. With a proper grip like this, you can put less stress on the muscles and joints of your hand.

A poor pencil grip can affect the quality of a child's handwriting as well as putting unnecessary strain on the hand muscles and ligaments. This causes the hand to tense or cramp and tire quickly, making the handwriting process hard work.

Each type of grip uses different muscles within the forearm to perform certain tasks. The three types of grip are Crush, Pinch and Support.

There are two types of grips: power grip and pinch grip.

These factors are speed, size, slant, spacing, pressure, and form.

It could indicate a neurological or muscular problem. “When someone's handwriting changes and becomes messy, sloppy, illegible or shaky, that might be a sign of an essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, writer's cramp or ataxia,” says neurologist Camilla Kilbane, MD.