Tips to Help A Child Hold A Pencil Correctly

Writing is one of the most important aspects of education and to lay the correct foundations; it is imperative to teach your kid how to write properly. However, what may appear to be seemingly an easy task may not be so. This may happen when the parents may struggle to teach their kids to hold a pencil correctly. Here, we shall discuss various tips that may help your kid to hold a pencil correctly and more.

When to Teach a Child to Hold A Pencil?

In the present scenario where most parents have started sending their toddlers to school, it may make one wonder what is the right time to teach or when to teach a child to hold a pencil. A child lacks the proper strength and fine motor skills to hold a pencil before four years of age. However, at around 5 to 6 years of age, a child may learn how to effectively use his hand muscles by holding a pencil. Therefore, it will be a good idea to teach the correct way of holding a pencil during this time only.

How to Help a Child to Hold Pencil Properly?

Here are some ways that you may adopt to help your child to hold a pencil properly:

1. Make Use of Shorter Pencils

When it is about how to teach a toddler to hold a pencil, it is very important that you use right size pencil. Most of the parents may feel that a longer pencil is a better option; however, it may not be so. You should start by giving a shorter pencil to your kid as they are easier to hold and may help your kid to have a better grasp.

2. Remember The Three-Finger Rule

The three-finger rule or the tripod grip is important to hold a pencil properly. Ask your kid to use his thumb, pointer finger and middle finger to hold the pencil by applying equal amounts of pressures from all the fingers.

3. Make Sure You Chose The Right Time

Introducing the correct way of holding should be practised when your kid is prepared for it. Ascertaining the right time may be difficult. However, we suggest as you prepare your kid to start going to a kindergarten, simultaneously you may begin teaching him about his grip too. However, it will not be a great idea to delay as once your kid gets in the habit of holding the pencil in the wrong way, you may find it difficult to undo it.

4. The Right Amount of Pressure

If your kid applies less pressure, then it may produce faint pencil lines on the other hand more pressure may lead to paper tears or pencil tips breaking. Therefore, it is important to teach your kid to put optimum pressure. However, take it slow and let your kid get the hang of it, as too many instructions in one go may lead to confusions and your kid may even develop an aversion towards writing.

5. Turn into A Fun Activity

If learning gets teamed up with fun, you may find your kid may enjoy more and also learn faster. Never force your kid, if he may not be in the mood to write. Also, do not make the writing practice into a boring and monotonous task. Kids at a younger age have a very limited attention span, and if something is not fun, it loses their interest. Keep the practice sessions short, crisp and fun-filled.

Important Points to Remember Regarding Pencil Grips

Here are some points that you may like to consider while teaching your child about the correct pencil grips:

• Before you begin teaching your kid about the correct grip, show him how to do it by holding the pencil in your hands. Kids tend to learn more when they see things rather than when they are told anything verbally.

• A child learns a great deal by observing and therefore it is important that you lead a good example. Your kid may not learn the correct technique if you are not following it yourself.

• There are many kinds of pencils available in the market; we recommend picking up a triangular pencil as it may help your kid develop a better grip.

• There are additional grips available in the market, and they are used to provide additional support to the fingers. You may get one and fix it on your kid’s pencil. However, if you are unsure which may be the best one for your kid, you may ask your kid’s teacher to assist you with the same.

• Kids love to do things at their own time and pace. Therefore it is important that you exercise patience whenever you try to teach them something new and the same rule applies here. Give your kid time to transition through the whole process and your calm and patience may help your kid a great deal.

• Help your kid learn using fun as a tool. For example, you may weave a story around the writing activity such as, make the first two fingers mommy and daddy and the last three fingers their babies. Putting such scenic and fun instructions not only excite a child about learning but also keep the child engrossed in the activity too.

• If you are facing troubles in helping your kid learn the correct way of holding a pencil and write, we suggest you take help from an occupational therapist. Therapists may guide you about the correct ways and techniques of helping your child to write.

You need to understand that because every kid is different, they make take their own time and pace of learning things. Therefore, it is not be a good idea to compare your child with others. Mastering the correct way of writing needs practice and perseverance, and you should inspire and encourage your child.