Should I get a pencil "grip"?

A pencil grip is a small foam, silicon or moulded plastic attachment to a pencil to help a child (or adult) to have a functional grasp of the pencil.  There are several on the market and one size does NOT fit all. 

Choosing a pencil grip for your child will depend on a number of factors (including how their fingers are positioned on the pencil, movement of the fingers during writing, force exerted onto the pencil, does the child switch grasps during writing, the size of the child's hand, child's age, can they self correct their pencil grasp?).  An OT can help to assess these factors!

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Specialist Pencil Grips available from Pencil Grips Plus.

I have to start this post by saying that I try my best not to recommend pencil grips.  It may be very "un-OT" of me to say this out aloud but there it is.  

Hear me out... the reasons I don't like pencil grips:
* they go missing,
* children use them incorrectly whilst they are on the pencil,
* they are left at home or school and so can't be used in all settings,
* they do not always help with writing legibility,
* they are seen as the "ultimate help" for handwriting legibility and nothing else is implemented.

Pencil grips are not always used correctly.

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When working with a child who has an inefficient pencil grasp, I will ALWAYS try to encourage a dynamic tripod grasp by other means first.  Read about "pencil grasps" in my very first blog. 

I may try to encourage fine motor activities that help with pincer grasp and dissociation of the two sides of the hand (read more here), pencils with larger diameters, preschool crayons, triangular pencils, Edison chopsticks (read more here), small broken crayons, tongs, hole punchers, etc.  These recommendations are often made in conjunction with the use of a pencil grip.

Dynamic tripod grasp and fine motor activities activities to encourage tripod grasp.

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I recommend pencil grips in the following situations:- 
*  when an OT uses the grips during therapy sessions to monitor and guide an efficient pencil grasp,
*  used as a part of a OT plan to address fine motor and handwriting difficulties, 
* used with the supervision of a teacher and parent so the child uses the pencil grasp in all environments. 

So then, which one?  As each child is an individual, trial a range of pencil grips if possible. A sample pack of grips is an essential for any OT working with school-aged children.

Original pencil grips (such as the triangular grip, foam grip, gel ridge grip, stetro grip) provide a guide for finger placement on the pencil.  They help to reduce some pressure and may be of assistance to those who hold the pencil too close to the nib or too far away.  When a child has established the "wrong" pencil grasp for a long time then using these grips will not be helpful.  These grips can be helpful with preschool age children who are just learning about finger placement on the pencil.
 
The most effective pencil grips I have found are "Specialist Pencil Grips".  They guide finger placement and are likely to be used correctly by the child trying to alter their pencil grasp. 

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Specialist Pencil Grips include: - 

The Pencil Grip
The Pencil Grip provides ergonomic support of the hand in a tripod position. It comes in two sizes with the larger size called the "Jumbo Grip". 

When these grips first hit the market they were the most recommended by OTs as they are comfortable, soft and allow for dynamic movement of the fingers. They are suitable for both left and right handers.

The Pencil Grip...well liked by OTs.

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The Crossover Grip and the "Grotto"
The Crossover grip is essentially "The Pencil Grip" with an additional wing over the top to prevent fingers or thumb from wrapping over.  The "Grotto" is very similar but is made from harder plastic and is less "springy" than the Crossover grip.

Both grips are suitable for both left and right handers.

The Crossover Grip (left) and Grotto Grip (right). Note: Pencil placement is ideally resting on the webspace with wrist extended and resting on the page.

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The Writing C.L.A.W (Controlling Letters of Adolescent/Adult Writers)
The Writing C.L.A.W consists of three small cups or pockets for fingers to be placed to achieve a dynamic pencil grasp.  The cups are each a different size and depth so it is easy to determine (for kids and adults) which finger belongs in each cup.  It allows for dynamic movement of the fingers in the tripod position because of the way the cups are joined by a small ring.  

I have found the C.L.A.W to be very popular with the kids I see, especially with kids who have been recommended other pencil grips in the past (ie. have a long term habit to change how they  hold the pencil).

The writing C.L.A.W comes in three sizes and fits both left and right handers.

The Writing C.L.A.W pencil grip ... easiest to achieve correct finger position.

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There are certainly lots of kids who benefit from using a pencil grip. Here are two examples of kids who have found pencil grips to help with pencil grasp and handwriting.

Child 1: Age 8 years 10 months.  He used 3 different pencil grasps within one assessment (lateral pencil grasp, static tripod with third finger tucked under pencil, dynamic tripod with hyper-extended index finger).  He also moved his hand as one unit whilst writing and held the pencil too close to the nib.  This child has found the Writing C.L.A.W holds his fingers into a good position.  Mum and teacher have found handwriting legibility has improved.

Pencil grasp and writing sample from assessment.

Using the Writing C.L.A.W. and writing sample using this pencil grip for 5 months.

Child 2: Age 5 years 3 months. Pencil grasp was too close to nib of pencil, hyper-extended index finger with wrap around thumb.  Too much pressure on the page during assessment although her handwriting legibility was reasonable.  Complaints of a "sore" hand after writing.  The writing C.L.A.W has helped to position fingers and allow for more dynamic movement of the first three fingers. 

The Writing C.L.A.W pencil grip has helped with dynamic movement of the fingers.

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Some children become frustrated when using a pencil grip as they have already established a habit of using an "inefficient" grasp.  For these children, check if handwriting speed or fatigue are factors with handwriting and trial different ways to encourage a dynamic tripod grasp.  Persist with a pencil grip as they have many years of writing ahead of them {even in this age of technology}.

Once a pencil grip has been chosen as being beneficial for a child, I like to slide it onto a stylus for use with tablet apps.  This is a great way to continue encouraging a dynamic tripod grasp as the ipad, iphone or android is usually very motivating.  See here for some reviews of ipad apps.

Has your child used a pencil grip? Which ones do you like?

Note: I received no remuneration for this post.  I was given these Specialist Pencil Grips by Pencil Grips Plus Pty Ltd.  All comments, opinions and photographs are my own.