Holding a pencil..........

[nancywith3]

hi! I was wondering about my oldest dd. she holds a pencil like her mom, on her ring finger of her right hand vs resting it on her middle finger. I know my mom tried ot correct me but it never felt comfortable. Is this ok? She will start K in the fall, and I can work with her on different placement - I tried once before and she says its not comfortable, or leave her be, she writes rather well for her age doing it this way. Mening its legible, and she loves to draw and make all kinds of pictures.

TIA

[AnnW]

I am not a teacher, but I would think that if it is not hindering her writing or legibilty that I would leave it alone.

[MaryL]

It depends on the teacher, sometimes. I encourage children to use the "usual" pencil grasp....however, some just aren't comfortable doing it. As long as it isn't a "fist" grasp....or hindering their penmanship/drawing I usually don't make a big deal of it. (There are pencil "grips" that you slide on pencils/skinny markers to encourage the usual grasp. You might want to try one of those and see what she does. I like the triangular shaped grips. They are rubbery.)

[Marla]

Nancy, my youngest son doesn't hold his pencil the "regular" way. I have gone out and bought a whole bunch of the pencil grips. The one that is most comfortable to him actually has little indents for his fingers to rest on (and are marked L or R). He actually prints very neatly considering has has an adapted grasp. So far (1st grade) the teachers haven't complained. The gripper encourages him to hold the pencil the correct way, but when he uses crayons he doesn't use a pencil grip.

[RCT]

ds doesn't hold his pencil correct either....we have grippers on all the pencils here and gently remind him when he isn't holding it correctly....I too don't do it correctly, and am hoping he can relearn now at 6....since I can't at 35 :lol: the grippers are inexpensive, and I sent some to school with him....:)

[Linda/NE]

You might want to check with the kindergarten teacher she will have in the fall. She would tell you if it needs to be corrected and probably give you suggestions on how to do it.

Sounds like you've gotten great advice already!! :)