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Post by **Angie** on Jul 30, 2014 23:09:14 GMT
If not, woowee! I'm first! lol
What does everyone think about the way their kid holds their pencil? I mean, if their handwriting is legible, does it really matter how they hold the pencil/pen?
I hold my pencil the way I was taught in kindergarten (resting on the web between my thumb and first finger and pinched between my thumb and third finger with the first finger on top). If I write more than a sentence or two, my hand starts to cramp. So, I've started to hold it in a similar way, but with the pen pinched between my thumb and fourth finger with my first and second fingers resting on the pen.
Then, I saw how Taylor Swift holds her pencil (resting on the web between her first and second fingers and pinched between her thumb and second finger). Wow, feels so much easier (and I kinda like the slight change to my handwriting).
Which then led to me remembering how we gripe at our son all of the time because his handwriting isn't very good and he is always complaining about hand cramps. Does he really have to do it the way that Zaner-Blosser and public teachers across the country say to? Will it lead to difficulties in other things if we change?
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Post by scrapqueen01 on Jul 30, 2014 23:13:43 GMT
I was taught to hold the pencil on the middle finger with the index finger on the side and the thumb on top. My mother holds hers on her ring finger. She doesn't know why she holds it that way. Dd never had to be taught to hold a pencil as she just started holding it on the middle finger at 2 years of age by herself.
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garcia5050
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Post by garcia5050 on Jul 30, 2014 23:20:40 GMT
My elementary school teacher was strict about this, over 35 years ago. It felt wrong, and my writing has always been crappy. My kid's teachers are not at all strict. My kids are 9 and 11.
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katybee
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Jun 25, 2014 23:25:39 GMT
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Post by katybee on Jul 30, 2014 23:32:39 GMT
My goal as a teacher is that 1)writing be legible and 2)writing be efficient and comfortable. If both of those are ok, I never try to change a grip...
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Post by its me mg on Jul 30, 2014 23:36:00 GMT
I was hosting one time when I was younger, and I was in charge of the wait list. A guy commented to me "you know, you'd fail kindergarden for holding your pen like that ...." and I looked at him strangely. I definitely hold my pen "wrong" but my penmanship is perfect. I hold the pen on my ring finger.
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Post by jojam on Jul 30, 2014 23:38:05 GMT
I do note when a child has a 'funny grip.' Sometimes that funny grip makes the writing hard to read, causes too much or too little pressure, etc. I try to help the child find a grip so s/he can write so other people can read what they've written and/or so s/he can read it (the purpose of writing.) I WILL help the child change his/her grip if s/he holds the pencil in his/her fist.
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Post by kimpossible on Jul 30, 2014 23:41:36 GMT
I was taught to hold the pencil on the middle finger with the index finger on the side and the thumb on top. My mother holds hers on her ring finger. She doesn't know why she holds it that way. Dd never had to be taught to hold a pencil as she just started holding it on the middle finger at 2 years of age by herself. I hold my pencil on my ring finger too! I have no idea why - but I cannot break the habit. The callus that everyone gets on their middle finger is on my ring finger.
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Post by psoccer on Jul 30, 2014 23:47:01 GMT
My son does not hold his pencil correctly, it does not affect his penmanship. I don't know if he will, or does, get cramps in his hand. His kindergarten teacher and I had a conversation about how he held his pencil and came to the conclusion that it would be fine. Once, in third grade, a substitute teacher tried to correct him. It did not end well. He is now in 8th grade, still holds his pencil the same wonky way, and we have no complaints on his penmanship. My personal opinion is that it is not important since his penmanship is fine.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Jul 30, 2014 23:52:28 GMT
I do note when a child has a 'funny grip.' Sometimes that funny grip makes the writing hard to read, causes too much or too little pressure, etc. I try to help the child find a grip so s/he can write so other people can read what they've written and/or so s/he can read it (the purpose of writing.) I WILL help the child change his/her grip if s/he holds the pencil in his/her fist. I'd read once that an unusual grip can be an early sign of dyslexia. Purely anecdotal, but I do know of several instances in my extended family where this is true.
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Post by lightetc on Jul 30, 2014 23:53:18 GMT
I remember my year 4 teacher attempting to "correct" my grip but holding it her way I couldn't see what I was writing so I choose to ignore her.
She also told me my handwriting was terrible and I was last to get my "pen license." My year 5 teacher, however, thought my handwriting was great. Who knows?!
My pen rests on the base of my first finger in line in my knuckle and the edge of my 3rd finger. First and second fingers on top of the pen, with my thumb on top of them. If that makes any sense!
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kate
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Post by kate on Jul 30, 2014 23:55:25 GMT
A correct pencil grip can improve speed, fluidity and legibility of handwriting, and it can help prevent hand fatigue and overuse injury. (There, now I've done my Montessori duty! LOL) Holding the pencil in a desth grip will give you hand cramps no matter what order your fingers are in!
I learned that the pencil should be held by the thumb and index finger, with the index finger arched (none of the joints flattened) and the pencil resting lightly against the inside of the middle finger.
It pains me to see kids trying to write with crazy pencil grips. I do understand that if a person is comfortable writing and their handwriting is legible, it really doesn't matter how the pencil is held. Teaching the "proper" grip *can* spare kids a lot of grief down the road, though. After the age of seven, it's really hard to change a person's grip, so the teacher has to evaluate whether it's worthwhile to have an older kid modify their grip.
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katybee
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Post by katybee on Jul 31, 2014 0:03:42 GMT
There are several acceptable pencil grips... NOT just one. Even our OT doesn't try to change them unless there is a problem (legibility, efficiency, comfort...)
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 31, 2014 0:09:37 GMT
I taught pencil grip in preschool as the students were learning to write. By the time they were in 4th grade, if their handwriting was legible, I probably didn't notice.
An old secretary writes with the pencil in the webbing. It is funny looking to me, but works for her.
As a special education teacher, most of my students hate writing. I would not correct their pencil grip if they were writing unless they were complaining about their hand being tired quickly.
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sharlag
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Post by sharlag on Jul 31, 2014 0:13:29 GMT
When DS age 19 was learning to write, the teachers were concerned about his atypical grip. They recommended these rubber 'grip correctors' that slide over the pencil and encourage the more popular, acceptable grip.
He kept his unusual grip, and is an artist with quite legible writing.
Maybe you and he (and other ODD GRIPPERS) have something in common, whether it's physiological or something else, that makes a different grip feel better.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jul 31, 2014 0:14:57 GMT
I hold mine "wrong". I'm not too worried about it.
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Post by darkchami on Jul 31, 2014 0:56:30 GMT
I have a wonky grip. Though I am right handed, I write like a lefty. My mom noticed once I hit the fourth grade and tried to change it. That did not go well at all.
My handwriting is fine. It does cause me to smear ink if I am not careful. I also had to figure out writing on chalkboards. Writing like a lefty on a vertical surface is a challenge.
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Post by melanell on Jul 31, 2014 1:14:36 GMT
My son holds his pencil in a grip that looks strange to me, because when i was in school they made us all hold them the same way. So seeing a different grip looked "off" to me.
The issue I see with his grip is that he has a bit of a death grip on it, and he so he writes and draws so, so dark that erasing is a real chore.
But I figure he's the artist around here, and if he feels he can creat how he wants to create with that grip, then knock yourself out, buddy.
He has been offered, and has turned down, art classes several times. I wonder if he actually goes some day if the teacher will mention the grip to him.
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camcas
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Post by camcas on Jul 31, 2014 1:22:55 GMT
I have a 'correct'grip now but started with it resting on my ring finger. Was made to corect it and now have a large calus on my 3rg finger to show that it worked!!! LOL! i also hold a corchet hook and any other fine instrumets eg tweezers ,craft knives like apencil too-i think it gives good control of fine movements wihtout extra finger crowding on top
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Post by kristi on Jul 31, 2014 1:27:11 GMT
My daughter holds her pencil between the 2nd & 3rd fingers. We tried to get her to hold it differently but she is stubborn like that . She still holds it differently but her handwriting is really pretty so it doesn't seem to impact her.
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GiantsFan
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Post by GiantsFan on Jul 31, 2014 1:30:52 GMT
I hold mine the same way I hold a chopstick! Seriously though - I hold mine between my thumb and middle finger with my index finger resting on top.
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Post by melanell on Jul 31, 2014 1:38:25 GMT
Seriously though - I hold mine between my thumb and middle finger with my index finger resting on top. This is how I hold mine as well.
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Post by bdawnb on Jul 31, 2014 2:26:17 GMT
Seriously though - I hold mine between my thumb and middle finger with my index finger resting on top. This is the way I was taught to hold a pencil also.
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Post by mztfied on Jul 31, 2014 3:04:31 GMT
When I was in kindergarten you either conformed or got whacked on the hand with the ruler. We were war babies and there were 55 of us in that class. One teacher. No assistants. No help. No parent volunteers. My teacher was the "law" and we obeyed.
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Post by withapea on Jul 31, 2014 3:17:39 GMT
I hold mine on my ring finger too, I know it's "wrong" but I don't care. Though I don't love it, I get compliments on my handwriting quite often. It's definitely legible.
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paget
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Post by paget on Jul 31, 2014 4:48:54 GMT
I don't remember anyone ever telling me how I should do it. However, people are always telling me I "write weird/ how can you even do that" because I'm left handed. People almost without fail say, "how can you write with your left hand?" Like it's a circus trick. I always reply with the same shocked voice, "how do you write with your right hand?" And they look at me like I'm crazy.
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Post by papersilly on Jul 31, 2014 5:20:26 GMT
All I know is I have a callous where I'm probably not holding the pencil correctly.
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Post by anniefb on Jul 31, 2014 5:39:59 GMT
Fascinating thread. I actually had to get out my pen on the bus to check my grip I hold mine between thumb and middle finger with index finger on top - all fingers slightly bent. I think this is the 'tripod' grip which is taught in New Zealand schools as the 'preferred' grip.
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hmv_ladybug
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Post by hmv_ladybug on Jul 31, 2014 6:05:35 GMT
I hold mine with the end of the pencil resting sorta between my thumb and the pointer finger, and the lead side on my ring finger. Usually with a bit of a death grip lol. My hand does cramp after a little bit of writing, but holding it the way I was "taught" is just really painful to me. I'm usually lucky if I can write one sentence holding the pencil that way.
I do remember in kindergarten my teacher always tried to correct my hold on the pencil, but the second she walked away, I would switch the grip back to how it was comfortable
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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anniebygaslight
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Post by anniebygaslight on Jul 31, 2014 9:25:58 GMT
: I don't remember anyone ever telling me how I should do it. However, people are always telling me I "write weird/ how can you even do that" because I'm left handed. People almost without fail say, "how can you write with your left hand?" Like it's a circus trick. I always reply with the same shocked voice, "how do you write with your right hand?" And they look at me like I'm crazy. I also had numerous people telling me that they really think they should be left handed because they once picked a paperclip off the floor with their left hand, or they happen to comb their hair using their left hand. Erm, if you were left handed, then you would be, well, erm, left handed. It isn't as if people nowadays , in the west at least, have their left arms tied to the chair, as they did in my Dad's day.
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IAmUnoriginal
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Jul 31, 2014 11:28:12 GMT
I'm left handed. I was mostly left to my evil ways until I had a left handed teacher (also my elementary principal...small school) in 3rd grade. He taught afternoons while our morning teacher taught those new computer things . Anyhow, he corrected my paper angle and my grip and my handwriting improved drastically. He also did our first cursive lessons. Before him, teachers were satisfied if my writing was mostly legible. I hold mine between my thumb and second finger with my forefinger resting on top, pen resting on the web between thumb and forefinger. I tried all sorts of crazy grips before Mr. Petersen fixed me up.
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