Pencil Grip

Pencil Grip

The mature pencil grip is the tripod pencil grip, where the thumb, index and middle fingers are on the shaft of the pencil.

Here are examples of incorrect grips:

The thumb is not on the pencil, but rests on the other fingers:

The shaft of the pencil is held very vertical, so it does not rest at the base of the thumb and there is no web-space (opening between thumb and index finger):

The pencil is held too close to the tip, so that the child cannot see what exactly s/he is writing:

Why is the grip so important?

• It allows movement within the hand, which makes writing easier (especially cursive writing)
• The child can focus on the output, rather than motor movement
• The hand does not tire so easily
• The child is able to write fast enough
• Less pressure means more endurance