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Beginner writers have lots to remember!
They need to remember how to sit at the table, how to hold their pencil, how to form letters and numbers.... Teachers and parents remind early writers about simple sentence writing rules such as the use of capital letters, punctuation and spaces between words. With so many things to remember beginner writers need help! "My hand is a sentence" shows children how to use their OWN hand to help them to remember how to write a sentence. A visual printable is also available to help prompt you and your child with the actions and words. I have shared this resource with teachers who have used it with their whole class. The prompt can be adapted to be for questions too but remember to let your kids know to end with a question mark. ACTION: Hold up right hand with fingers together. SAY: My hand is a sentence. My fingers are the words. ACTION: Move out and wiggle your thumb. SAY: I start with a capital letter. ACTION: Move out and wiggle your pinky finger. SAY: I end with a full stop. ACTION: Spread fingers open. SAY: I put spaces between the words. Check out my IG account for a video of this prompt in ACTION!
Get the visual prompt at the Your Kids OT shop
​ (FREE UNTIL OCT 31st, 2018)!
For older children, they may be able to use a writer's checklist to remember sentence writing conventions. Find the checklist over HERE!
​How do you help kids to remember sentence writing rules? 
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 Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. Ever scratched out a lottery ticket to check if you have won a prize? I've actually never bought a "scratchie" but I have made "scratchie" paper before! Check out my previous uses for "scratchie" paper - here and here. You will also find very simple instructions for making your very own "scratchie" paper. I have always thought it would be really neat to use "scratchie" paper with the OT kids I see! Everyone loves a surprise. It is now week 7 of school the school term in NSW and time has flown. The penpal program I introduced to some of my school age students is in full swing and we have had some correspondence back and forth between them. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to find creative ways for the students to interact with one another and still work on handwriting goals. OTs are always looking for novel ways to motivate the kids we see to work on goals which they struggle to achieve. Why did the banana go to the doctor? .... Because he was not peeling well. What did the ocean say to the boat?..... Nothing it just waved. What is brown and sticky? ..... A stick! What better way to hide the answer to a joke than to use "scratchie" paper! Kids love telling jokes!  One of the reasons I love "scratchie" paper is that it actually works on fine motor skills when the child uses a coin to scratch off the paint. Not surprisingly, some kids just didn't know what to do with the coin to get the paint off. How did they hold it? How did they rub off the paint? How much pressure did they need to place on the coin? For the younger kids I was seeing (who's handwriting is still quite large), it became a little difficult to hide their "joke" answers with scratchie paper so I had these kids draw a small picture which we hid for their pen pal to rub off. It doesn't matter what is hidden; kids love the element of surprise! All the kids loved creating and rubbing off the special paint! I decided to use the same concepts a few weeks later to hide the answer to a description. The kids wrote clues for "What am I?" and hid the answers with "scratchie paper". The novelty was still there and was motivating for all.  Remember, you can get your copies of my DIY envelopes and writing paper templates HERE. Have you got a novel way to motivate your kids with handwriting? Have you ever made "scratchie" paper? 
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 Pen pals. Did you have a pen pal as a child? Mine was a girl who lived in Wales whom I wrote to with my tales of primary school. I sent her pictures. I talked about my favourite TV shows and music. She sent me letters of her life in Wales which seemed so far away from me here in Sydney. The anticipation of waiting for a letter, checking the letter box and then receiving the letter.... was so exciting! This term in OT, I thought I would bring some of my childhood memories to life with my "OT kids". I visit a number of schools and see lots of children who work on similar goals. This term I have started a pen pal program with some of the children I see. I have matched children of similar age and I am hand delivering letters between students so I won't be sharing personal contact details. I am hoping that this will be a remote "peer support" system program where children will be motivated to write and write neatly! But it won't be just letter writing! Each OT session with me needs to target lots of goals simultaneously so I'll be including things we can make and give the other person. This may evolve over the term but I'm looking forward to sharing some of my ideas with you. To start our pen pal journey, I asked children to write an introductory letter and make their own envelope! For some children, this was the first letter they had even written! I have created a set of DIY envelope and writing paper templates with a variety of writing lines. The writing lines include an ordinary line, my "Earth Paper writing lines" (see here for more information about this), a "bookmark" version of the Earth Paper lines in the margin for those who just need a little prompt and a green "short letter line" for those who need this support. The template has numbered instructions to fold the paper (it reminds me of an aerogramme -have you ever written on an aerogramme or is this showing my age... ) and form the envelope. I have the children add a sticker to seal the envelope and write the recipient's name on the other side. I'm offering these templates FREE to subscribers because I know everyone loves a FREEBIE and it has been a while since my last FREE offer! (Note: Not all my printables and resources are freebies as I'm still trying to make a living and feed my kids!) Please make copies for yourself but direct others to my site to get their own copy. Don't worry if you are already a subscriber, you won't be added to the list twice! Remember to "shrink to printable area" when printing. I printed mine on coloured paper for some variety ! Not sure how to fold the writing paper into an envelope? Watch this video to see how! (Sometimes email subscribers have trouble seeing the video - try going back to the blog article online.) Did you have a pen pal as a child? Have you ever hosted a pen pal program between students? Let me know if you try out this paper! You can tag @yourkidsot on Instagram or Facebook.   You may also like:
Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details
What a treat! It was like Christmas for me!
I love a good stationery shop! There is something about office supplies and equipment to help keep me organised that is so exciting! OK before you think... what a sad woman... hear me out! Together with my children, I recently attended Officework's Sydney launch of their new "Learn and Grow" range and it is more than you would expect in terms of office supplies and equipment! What an exciting range of products on offer at Officeworks for children to help them to Learn and Grow. There are over 4000 products in the range and include puzzles, games, chore charts, stickers, posters as well as arts and craft supplies. The Learn and Grow range includes trusted brands such as Ravensburger puzzles, Playdoh, Orchard games, Melissa and Doug, Crayola and more! It also includes a range of Officeworks home brand supplies. One of the best things is the affordability of the products. 
We received an awesome "goodie box" from Officeworks to introduce us to the Learn and Grow range. It is wonderful to see children dive straight into their creative ideas when they get their hands on supplies. At the launch Mr 7 made a "bow", lots of "feathered arrows" and a holster to hold those arrows (see the photos above as he began crafting the "bow"). Miss 11 years was keen to get crafting as soon as we got home with our "goodie box". Her choice picks were the large pad of paper, textas fluoro dough and modelling clay.
The only problem with the "goodie box" was keeping some of the supplies for myself and my OT kids! Here is one way that we put some of the Officework's supplies into action. Using spice jars, I added some googly eyes, a foam nose and foam mouth (one is actually the letter "G" on the side). My little OT friend helped to unscrew the lid and add "feathers" as hair by poking them into the holes. Whilst a fun colourful activity, there were lots of therapeutic benefits that we were addressing too! We worked on crossing the midline and bilateral coordination (read more about this here), fine motor skills and a pincer grasp. 
This vibrant number peg puzzle (by Melissa and Doug) was another way we worked on a pincer grasp. Hiding under the numbers were pictures to help with number identification and counting. We used pom poms to continue working on a pincer grasp and crossing the midline too.
Later I added an extra level of difficulty by asking this child to hold onto a pom pom with his third/fourth and fifth fingers whilst using his thumb and index finger to pick up the pom poms. This skill is called the separation (or disassociation) of the two sides of the hand is an important fine motor skill for handwriting, scissors, buttoning and other functional tasks (read more about this here). 
Playdoh and any other "dough" materials are such a wonderful sensory tool for hands on learning. It is so versatile and can be used for forming into shapes, letters and in pretend play. You can use playdough to encourage hand strength, fine motor skill development, sensory exploration, finger isolation, bilateral coordination and more! Find more ways to use "play dough" here.
I was truly impressed with the range of products available in the Officeworks Learn and Grow range. I've been a long time fan of the Officework's "smelly" stickers and my OT kids expect these each time I see them (unfortunately none of these in my goodie box). The scent is really strong and brings back memories of "scratch and sniff" stickers that I remember receiving as a child. Find the "Learn and Grow" range in stores or online atOfficeworks (delivery within Australia only). There are so many opportunities for "hands on learning" waiting for your kids. What is your child's favourite way to learn? Am I the only one who likes browsing an office supply store? 
Disclosure: I was gifted products from the Officeworks Learn and Grow range for the purposes of a review. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand.
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 Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. We live in a world full of sensory information and some kids have difficulty coping with the sensory information they receive in their daily lives (visual, auditory, vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, taste, etc). Some kids can seek sensory information and others will avoid it. This can change for a child depending on their environment or time of day. Navigating what is best for your child can be really difficult. If you have concerns with your child's ability to process sensory information, then seek professional advice from an occupational therapist. A sensory lifestyle is a look at how to meet the sensory needs of your child through their every day life so that they can reach their potential. We all want our children to be the best versions of themselves, to learn and grow. We want them to be happy and we want them to be safe. We don't want our child's sensory needs to interfere with their ability to "do life well". A "sensory diet" is a planned and scheduled activity program designed to meet a child's individual sensory needs (Wilbarger, and Wilbarger, 1991). It is related to activities that a child performs through their day to help them to "modulate" their bodies. The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook by Colleen Beck (from the OT Toolbox) is a new strategy guide for sensory processing needs. This book provides valuable insight into the sensory system and the whole child. It details how sensory diets can be incorporated into a child's lifestyle to meet the sensory needs of each individual child. The tips and tools in the Sensory Lifestyle Handbook uses child-led interests and daily life interactions so that kids WANT to participate in sensory diet activities their bodies need... because it is part of play! To celebrate the release of the Sensory Lifestyle Handbook, there are bonus items that address needs like self-regulation and self-reflection, school screening tools, sensory diet cards, sensory planning calendars, play-based sensory activities and so much more! These bonus items are sent with the purchase of the Sensory Lifestyle Handbook! The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook is available as a digital e-book for $16 US or you can also order a soft cover printed book for $26US! This introductory price with bonus items are available until April 16th 2018!  Don't forget to download these amazing freebie offers that were created to also support your child's sensory needs! 1. The Outdoor Sensory Diet Cards and Sensory Challenge Cards encourages sensory diet strategies in the outdoors. The printable packet includes 90 outdoor sensory diet activities, 60 outdoor recess sensory diet activities, 30 blank sensory diet cards and 6 sensory challenge cards. Get your copy of the Outdoor Sensory Diet Cards and Sensory Challenge Cards HERE. 2. The Classroom Sensory Strategy Toolkit contains these amazing resources:
3. The Attention and Sensory Connection Workbook is a one-stop spot for information on the basics of how attention is related to sensory processing. It provides tips to boost attention through the senses so that kids can learn, focus and pay attention when they need to. The workbook covers information about how impaired sensory processing relates to attention issues in a variety of ways and provides movement and sensory-motor activities that can help boost attention. There are specific activity ideas and tactics to address attentiveness. You'll also find workbook pages that can be used to identify underlying sensory-related areas that impact attention and tools for addressing those needs. Get your copy of the Attention and Sensory Connection Workbook HERE.
SPECIAL BONUS FOR YOUR KIDS OT READERS! I only endorse products that I recommend without hesitation! Colleen Beck is a respected occupational therapist whom I have had the privileged to collaborate with in the past. Read more about Colleen and the OT Toolbox HERE and read an article she wrote for Your Kids OT HERE. The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook is a unique resource that will help you navigate "sensory diets". Whether you are an occupational therapist, parent or teacher; this resource is user-friendly and very practical! Take the opportunity to purchase this book at the introductory price and receive the bonus items (because they are also awesome)! The free resources listed above are truly brilliant (and could very easily been paid products) and you should grab them now! For YOUR KIDS OT readers; thank you for your ongoing support! When you purchase the Sensory Lifestyle Handbook during the promotional week, email me at cindy@yourkidsot.com with a copy of your receipt and I will give you a 50% BONUS discount to the Your Kids OT shop! (note: you will need proof of purchase that you used one of my links for this bonus discount) What are you favourite resources supporting your child's sensory needs? These new resources are sure to make this list once you get your copy!   Cindy is a registered Occupational Therapist practising in Sydney Australia. She has two young children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning. Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT. Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. You may also like:
Reference:
Wilbarger, P. & wilbarger, J. (1991) Sensory Defensiveness in Children Aged 2-12:An Intervention Guide for Parents and Other Caretakers. Stillwater:PDP Press.  I love puppets! Kids love puppets! They provide such a great way to engage kids; capturing both their attention and their imagination. Even when kids eventually realize there is a person behind (or under or holding) a puppet, the intrigue and affection is still there. Today I'm introducing guest blogger Abby Glassenberg, puppet designer extraordinaire, and blogger from While She Naps! Can you see from the title how awesome her puppets are?! Abby has some great ideas (and therapeutic reasons) for using puppets in play and for therapy sessions. She also has some awesome ideas for making your own puppets! I'm looking forward to trying out her pattern to make my own. I would love to see your puppet if you make one! Thank you Abby for contributing today! Puppets can play a special role in a therapy session, a classroom, or at home with your family. When we slide our hand inside a puppet and begin to make it talk we can suddenly be anyone we want. Through a puppet we can express thoughts that would be too difficult to say out loud otherwise. A puppet can be angry, or sad, or frustrated about a situation and express those emotions fully without worrying about the consequences. When we play with puppets we give ourselves permission to talk about complicated situations and to be silly too. If you don't already have puppets in your toy box of toolbox it's worth buying a few at a toy store or making your own. As a teacher and mother of three girls, one of whom has special needs, I love having puppets available in my arsenal. I also like to make toys for my children to use. As a sewing designer, I realized that there was a need for an open-mouthed, expressive puppet that was easy for moms and therapists to sew themselves. This realization led me to create the Chit Chat Puppet Pattern for people just like me who want to create a special puppet to use with the children in their lives. It's a simple-to-sew pattern that allows you to easily make custom puppets that fit your particular needs. The wonderful thing about puppets is that they are a representation of a living being so puppets can get away with things that people can't. Puppets allow us to experience a fantasy and that's such a valuable thing for a child.  One approach to playing with puppets is to use a visually neutral puppet that's neither a boy nor a girl and doesn't have many identifying characteristics. This means that the puppet doesn't resemble anyone and can be anyone. A child can project whatever they want onto the puppet, rather than feeling constrained by the puppet's features. Another approach is to buy or create a variety of puppet characters, including a predator puppet and a friendly puppet. Distinct characters allow you and the child to act out scenarios together, and you can even switch roles to try out different resolutions to the stories you're acting out together. One way to begin puppet play is to by presenting a puppet that has a problem that's an exaggerated version of one the child is actually facing. For example, of the child is struggling with accepting a new baby into the family, the puppet can wish that the new baby would disappear and it could be the only child once again. In this scenario the puppet is just like the child, only more so. This experience give the child an opportunity to unburden themselves of thoughts they were previously afraid to openly express such as wishing a baby would disappear.  You can also present a situation similar to the one that the child needs help resolving and use the puppet to model new behavior patterns and rehears coping strategies. Possible situations that are suited for this kind of play would be winning and losing at games, turn taking, greeting people and active listening. To encourage the child to problem solve and to create a bond with the puppet, suggest that they be the puppet's helper. Can the child help the puppet accept that it's lost at a board game? or teach the puppet to greet a friend appropriately? Of course playing with puppets doesn't always have to have a serious aim. Putting on a silly show with a puppet is a fun way to spend time together enjoying an open ended, creative activity. It's definitely okay to just have fun with your puppet! There are lots of puppets that are simple to make together with children. Try a paper bag puppet, a clothespin puppet or a sock puppet to get started. And of course, there are many commercially available puppets you can buy at the store. if you'd like to create a unique puppet to use with your child or with your students. however. I encourage you to try my Chit Chat Puppet pattern. It's intended for people with all levels of sewing experience and will allow you to create an array of unique, high quality puppets you can use for years to come.
Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. You may also like:
Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.
Should kids do homework?
A great debate in our schools and our society. Some believe strongly in the need to develop habits for studying and working at home. Some believe strongly that school is for academic learning and home is for "being a kid". Some schools have introduced an "opt in/opt out" option. What is your opinion about homework? As an occupational therapist, I understand the need to practice skills. When I see a child once a week for a short period of time, I know that my effectiveness is in the carryover of what we are working on together .... in their every day lives. A frustration is when parents rely on me to "fix" their kids (although they might not use that word). Ideally, I see myself as a coach who may provide an insight into why a child is doing something the way they are, offer some tips and tricks to help with the problem, help show the child and others ways to improve (compensate or modify activities) but then rely on the rest of the team (parents, teachers and child) to practice or also come up with new ways to help address the same goals. On the other hand, I also understand the frustration of parents who find "homework" challenging to complete. Life is busy and kids with special needs seem to have a lot of extra work that needs to be done (in addition to regular school work). This year, I've introduced my version of an opt in/opt out homework grid for my occupational therapy kids. The grid outlines five common areas most of my OT school age kids are working towards achieving. These are core muscle strength, bilateral coordination, hand strength, pincer grasp and letter formation. The examples of homework should be easy for families to incorporate into their daily lives and require little to no set up or extra equipment. I include an introductory letter to parents explaining the grid and the target areas. I recently shared this homework grid with my IG followers. I ran a poll asking if I should share my OT homework grid here! The result was a resounding "YES" that people wanted to get a copy of this homework grid! Thanks for everyone who participated in the poll. 
So true to my word, here it is!
I've taken off my signature from the "parent letter" so that you can add your name to it but I ask that you keep my "Your Kids OT" name on it before making copies. To get your copy of the OT HOMEWORK GRID, just subscribe below. You will also be the first to know about other resources I create. (Current subscribers will only be on the list once)... Subscribe to the Your Kids OT Newsletter!Receive your FREE PRINTABLE as a thank you! This form collects information we will use to send you our newsletter with our latest posts, products and special offers.
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If you do use this homework grid, I would love to hear your feedback! Why not give me that feedback/review on the Your Kids OT Facebook page?! I always love to hear from my readers!
What is your opinion about homework? 
The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions.
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 Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. Do you have a child who pushes down too hard onto the page when writing? Do they push so hard that the page tears or you can see their work through several pages? or Do you have a child who writes too lightly on the page... so lightly you can't see what they have written? Have you tried brush markers? Brush markers are a popular tool for those who do faux calligraphy and hand lettering. If you search Pinterest, Instagram or You tube... you will find many experts showing you how to use brush markers and the beautiful art work they can create. I'm a novice when it comes to faux calligraphy and hand lettering, but I do enjoy trying! I've been practicing with "brush markers" for a couple of years now and what do they say ... "practice makes progress"! Brush markers are marker pens or textas that have a soft tip. Depending on the amount of pressure you apply to the marker will determine the thickness of the stroke. You can see this in the writing below. Heavy pressure on the marker will produce a thicker stroke on the page and light pressure on the marker will produce a think stroke.  Brush markers are a wonderful way to work on pencil pressure! In comparison to other textas and crayons, brush markers provide sensory feedback (proprioception) as the marker responds to the amount of pressure you apply. Children can see for themselves what happens when they press down "too hard" or "too lightly" with the feedback to their muscles and joints that often can't be described to them. Brush markers are fantastic for writing letters as seen above. I often have children write their names and if they have learnt cursive writing, they can be taught some basic faux calligraphy. The essence of faux calligraphy is to push down with more pressure on the "down strokes" of a letter and to reduce the pressure so there is a thin line on the "upward strokes" of a letter. Brush markers are also a fantastic tool for colouring in pictures. I have paired brush markers with my printable "5 Mandalas to Practice Pencil Pressure" which you can purchase from the Your Kids OT shop. "Mandala" originates from sanskrit and means "circle", however they have now become a tool for mindfulness and self expression.  Brush markers are available in many different brands. The brush markers I use are called Artline Stix (not sponsored). I like them as there are a range of colours, they are economical and they have a triangular shape to grip onto (encouraging a tripod grasp). Kids also love them as they can be linked together. Watch how I use brush markers to write the heavy and light strokes in this video. If you have trouble viewing this video, please try this you-tube link youtu.be/SZWq4nmDQyY For more information about "too much pencil pressure" go to "Why Your Child Presses Too Hard When Writing" from Miss Jaime OT! For more information about "too light pencil pressure" go to "Why Your Child Presses Too Lightly". Do you know a child who struggles with pencil pressure on the page? Have you tried brush markers? 
The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. You may also like:
 Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. Not everyone uses a functional efficient pencil grasp. If you walk into a room full of adults and look at how they hold their pens, you will find a range of "functional grasps". In my last article I explained what makes a grasp "functional" and "efficient"; read more about this here. Functional Inefficient Pencil Grasps Some people are happy to use an inefficient pencil grasp because what they have is comfortable for them and produces legible writing. We all adjust our pencil grasps according to comfort and pain. Inefficient pencil grasps develop for a number of reasons. Sometimes these inefficient grasps develop because of weak hand muscles, low muscle tone or hyper-mobile joints. Sometimes the writing may be a little messy, however this compromise is accepted because it enables the writer the least amount of pain or the most stability. Some writers who use an inefficient grasp also make other accommodations. They may write for a short duration with regular breaks or use a modified writing implement. Typical Modifications of Pencil Grasp Here are some ways that children and adults hold the pencil to adjust for weak hand muscles, low muscle tone or hyper-mobile joints.
Movement of the pencil using these grasps may be either static (control coming from wrist, elbow or shoulder) or dynamic (from the fingers).  Joint Hyper-mobility Children with finger joint hyper-mobility (often called "double-jointed") have difficulty stabilizing their joints to control pencils and other implements. These children are prone to fatigue so consideration should be provided with how much they are expected to write and for how long. Joint protection should also be considered (this may depend on the severity of joint hyper-mobility). Joint protection may be achieved through strapping or splinting to provide extra support to their fingers during tasks that require manual dexterity. A quick trick is to use a hair elastic twisted into a "figure 8" over the joint to provide some extra support (see photo below). Some children with joint hyper-mobility also benefit from using a modified pencil grasp such as those mentioned previously. Benbow (2006) describes the grasp held between the second and third fingers as the adapted tripod grasp. The "Twist n write" pencil (pictured below) provides an alternative way to hold a pencil. If you suspect that you child has hyper-mobile joints, seek professional medical advice.  Inefficient and not functional Pencil Grasps. An inefficient pencil grasp moves from functional to not functional when there is an issue with: -
When to change a pencil grasp if it is inefficient? Pencil grasps should be looked at as part of an overall age-appropriate handwriting assessment and remediation. Consider working on a more dynamic pencil grasp with children who may be demonstrating one of the following :-
For some great ideas to work on pencil grasp - check out my "Handwriting and Writing" Landing page. There will be more practical ideas to come here on the blog! Where a grasp can not be changed due to a child's age or the issues described previously with low muscle tone and joint hyper-mobility; then consideration should be made with regard to the use of technology such as laptops, ipads and speech to text recognition. Additional exam support may also be considered for older children such as extra time or the use of a scribe. Do you or someone you know use an "inefficient" grasp? Is it functional? 
References: * Benbow, M. (2006). Principles and Practices of Teaching Handwriting. In Hand Function in the Child Foundations for Remediation (pp. 319-342). Mosby Elsevier. You may also like:
 Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. Ever been called "The pencil grip lady?"? Ever had parents say to you "I've got a shocking pencil grip but I've been alright with writing"? Ever been asked by friends at a kid's birthday party about how their child holds the pencil? Ever had friends say, "Can you check my pencil grip"? Ever have your own kids correct YOUR pencil grip? What's the big deal? Is it really important how our kids hold the pencil? Pencil grasps have been an ongoing discussion with teachers, parents and therapists. This article will be of particular interest to teachers and therapists. Some say pencil grasp doesn't matter. Some insist on change. Our children develop so differently. Benbow (2006)* tells us that boys have a tendency to develop their fine motor skills more slowly than girls and may have great difficulty managing writing tools; whilst girls may begin "writing" when they are as young as 2 1/2 years and may adopt pencil grasps that are inefficient or harmful as they pursue an early fascination with letter formation. Benbow also tells adults that we should not assume that children will know the best way to hold a pencil or that they will acquire the ability through incidental experience. Some studies have indicated that how a child grasps a pencil does NOT have significant influence on handwriting performance, however children WITH poor handwriting use significantly less mature pencil grasp patterns than children with good handwriting. ** There is also much discussion in the literature about dynamic (mature) grasps being suggested as the best grasp for writing when compared with static (immature) grasps. *** SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? PENCIL GRASP AND HANDWRITING Pencil grasp is just ONE aspect of handwriting that occupational therapists consider. There is a developmental progression that is expected that children work through in their early years. Grasp patterns develop through play and experiences that children have interacting with their environment and objects they find in their environment. Read more about the developmental progression of pencil grasp here. Evaluation of Pencil Grasp. When looking at a child's pencil grasp, there are a number things that occupational therapists consider.
 Defining Pencil Grasp. What makes it good? Functional? Efficient? Static? Dynamic? For efficient pencil control, OTs have for a long time looked for a dynamic pencil grasp (see photo below). The dynamic pencil grasp involves the thumb opposed to the index and third fingers with all three fingers position in a tripod on the pencil; creating an open web space (the nice circle made by the thumb and index finger) with the fourth and fifth fingers stabilized against the writing surface.*** It is the preferred grasp for writing speed, control and letter formation with movement of the pencil being controlled by the first three fingers (thumb, index and third fingers). **** This grasp is described as efficient, functional and dynamic. HOWEVER, this is not the only grasp which can be described in this way. Let's look at some definitions. FUNCTIONAL: A functional pencil grasp is any grasp that produces output on the paper whether that is scribble for a toddler, legible or messy handwriting for a school age child or adult. Whilst functional, this grasp may (or may) may not lead to fatigue, pain, slow writing speed or poor endurance. EFFICIENT: An efficient grasp is any grasp that produces writing on the page which is legible and was completed within a reasonable time frame. It enables the writer to produce a reasonable quantity of work without pain or fatigue. DYNAMIC: A mature pencil grasp where pencil control comes from movement of the thumb, index and third fingers whilst the fourth and fifth fingers are tucked into the palm and stabilized on the writing surface. STATIC: An immature pencil grasp where pencil control comes from the wrist, elbow or shoulder so that the hand moves as one unit. TRIPOD: A grasp where the pencil is held with three fingers touching the pencil (thumb, index and third fingers). QUADRUPOD: A grasp where the pencil is held with four fingers touching the pencil (thumb, index, third and fourth fingers). LATERAL: A grasp where the thumb lies adducted to the side of the index finger or crosses over the pencil and the movement of the pencil comes from the index and middle fingers predominantly (without the thumb's assistance).  Which grasp should we teach? As occupational therapists we are primarily concerned with helping a child achieve a functional and efficient pencil grasp. This has been seen in recent literature as being achieved through dynamic movement of the fingers which can be seen in 4 differing grasps. These grasps are the dynamic tripod grasp, dynamic quadrupod grasp, lateral tripod and lateral (thumb) quadrupod. *** Schwellenus et al (2012) found that neither speed nor legibility of writing was affected by these grasp patterns. These authors continue to recommend that the dynamic tripod grasp should be taught to children when commencing writing. If a child has difficulties with writing then the grasp pattern should be observed and if it was one of these grasps mentioned then the therapist should look at other areas of handwriting remediation. Just a side note from my personal experience as an occupational therapist. There are also many children who may hold the pencil using the grasps described in this section (and seen in the photo below), however it is also important to observe where pencil control comes from. Does the child hold these fingers rigidly and move their hand at the wrist, elbow or shoulder? In which case these grasps are no longer dynamic but static and child demonstrates some difficult with separation of the two sides of the hand (read more about that here).  THIS month is all about PENCIL GRASPS at Your Kids OT! I have more to share with you about inefficient and adaptive grasps; and a fun easy way to practice applying the "right" pencil pressure. Can't wait?!
I'm looking forward to seeing some wonderful creative ways to address pencil grasp and pencil control! What is your favourite way to encourage a dynamic, functional and efficient pencil grasp?
References: * Benbow, M. (2006). Principles and Practices of Teaching Handwriting. In Hand Function in the Child Foundations for Remediation (pp. 319-342). Mosby Elsevier. ** Pollock, N., Lockhart, J., Blowes, B., Semple, K., Webster, M., & Farhat, L. et al. (2009). Handwriting Assessment Protocol (2nd ed.). McMaster University. *** Schwellnus, H., Carnahan, H., Kushki, A., Polatajko, H., Missiuna, C., & Chau, T. (2012). Effect of pencil grasp on the speed and legibility of handwriting after a 10-minute copy task in Grade 4 children. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59(3), 180-187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1630.2012.01014.x **** Elliott, J. M & Connolly, K. J. (1984). A classification of manipulative hand movements. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 26 (3), 283-296. You may also like:
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here.  
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Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. Affiliate links may be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. 
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