Get a Grip
by Susan Hermes, MS, ORT/L
Little hands do need help to grow. They need to be taught how to grip crayons,
pencils and markers appropriately. The traditional grasp used for writing
and coloring is called a “tripod grip”. The pencil should be
positioned so that there is equal pressure between the thumb, the side of
the middle finger (sometimes called “tall man”) and the tip
of the index finger. All fingers are bent slightly but younger children
may still keep their elbows high and wrist up off the table or coloring
surface.
There are many ways to make sure children are ready to use marking tools.
Research shows that children typically have the motor control by age 3 to
use a tripod grip but do still need to be shown how to use it with materials
appropriately. A child needs to be able to separate the two sides of the
hand where they use the thumb, index and middle finger and tuck the ring
and little finger under. They also need to have an interest in coloring
- preferable with short crayons as they give the most drag for added time
and fit nicely into little hands to learn good marking skills. A parent
or peer modeling can show how to hold their crayon correctly and can make
a big difference as young children love to imitate.
Also make sure their hands are ready to begin marking activities with plenty
of fine motor play such as rolling and pinching play dough, unscrewing caps
and round nuts and bolt toys, and also playing/ inserting coins with games
like connect 4 or checkers into small slit containers. If your child is
struggling with fine motor control you may want to consult a preschool teacher
or occupational therapist for suggestions or screening respectively.
Some electronic sites that help with teaching grip are the Handwriting Without
Tears video tutorial on teaching grip at http://www.hwtears.com/videos#content
and the Draw Your World illustration of tripod grip at http://www.drawyourworld.com/grip.html
. However you learn, whether it is reading, seeing, hearing or doing; the
best strategy is to remember to teach grip before inefficient habits are
made.
Susan Skees Hermes, MS, OTR/L
Beckman and Associates, Inc.
620 N. Wymore Rd.
Maitland, Fl 32571
407-647-4740