Why do many Americans hold their pens incorrectly?

[Fast_and_Curious]

Almost everyone I see in Europe and Asia hold their pens the same way: with the tips of their thumb and index finger, supported by their middle finger. However, I see Americans hold their pens in all kinds of incorrect ways. Some are pretty strange and hard to describe. It seems like everyone has their own individual way. Are children in America taught the correct hand posture? How important is it in American education? Why do all these variations occur? I would appreciate your thoughts.

[Ellie]

Almost everyone I see in Europe and Asia hold their pens the same way: with the tips of their thumb and index finger, supported by their middle finger. However, I see Americans hold their pens in all kinds of incorrect ways. Some are pretty strange and hard to describe. It seems like everyone has their own individual way. Are children in America taught the correct hand posture? How important is it in American education? Why do all these variations occur? I would appreciate your thoughts.

 

Because for the last 40 years or so, American schools have neglected to teach penmanship. The children who did not learn to properly hold their writing implements went on to not teach their own children to properly hold their crayons and pencils and whatnot, and when those children went to school, they weren't properly taught there, either.

[J-rap]

Why does it matter, as long as it works and they don't get finger strain?

[creekland]

I never had any idea there was a correct way to hold a pen!   :lol:

 

One has to wonder who set that law!  "MY way is correct.  Yours is not."  It sounds like sibling rivalry to me.  It also reminds me of how everyone is supposed to be right handed.  Who decides?

 

IMO any way that works for someone and gets the writing correctly on the paper is perfect.

[Guest]

There's a "correct" way???

[Garga]

When I was 5 and 6 years old I went to school in England. I remember the headmistress coming up behind me at lunch time and grabbing my hands and repositioning my hands/fingers on the cutlery because I was doing it wrong. I was terrified of the Head. I would drop anything I was holding if she came by so she couldn't correct me.

 

There is a right way to hold your pencil/pen as well. Somehow I made it through my 2 years of schooling in England without learning it. I've tried to switch to it, just to see if it's less fatiguing, but I can't seem to change the way I write now and my hand doesn't seem to get too tired when I write.

 

You're also not supposed to bear down when you write. You're supposed to write very lightly.

 

This guy will explain how to hold your pen:

[creekland]

There is a right way to hold your pencil/pen 

 

I disagree.  Someone might think their way is the right way and want to promote it.  They might even convince a bunch of people that their way is "the" right way, but in reality, the only thing necessary is that the writing get on the paper.  To do that, I don't give a hoot how anyone holds anything.  Someone else's insistence that they have the "right" way only makes me laugh.

 

That said, there may be "better" ways that don't affect muscles as much or something similar, but no, I will never agree that there is one right way.  In the end, hold it however is comfortable for you.

 

For years everyone "knew" that humans were right handed too and spent oodles of time (& more) correcting those who weren't.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I disagree.  Someone might think their way is the right way and want to promote it.  They might even convince a bunch of people that their way is "the" right way, but in reality, the only thing necessary is that the writing get on the paper.  To do that, I don't give a hoot how anyone holds anything.  Someone else's insistence that they have the "right" way only makes me laugh.

 

That said, there may be "better" ways that don't affect muscles as much or something similar, but no, I will never agree that there is one right way.  In the end, hold it however is comfortable for you.

 

For years everyone "knew" that humans were right handed too and spent oodles of time (& more) correcting those who weren't.

 

I agree.  I used to believe there was a right way.  The "right way" was the way I was taught of course!  It works great for me so it must be the right way.  But certainly it is not the only way and other ways work as well for other people. 

 

I could lose all but 2 of my fingers or hey maybe only have one finger and develop a way to write and get very good at it.  Will someone dare tell me I'm doing it wrong?  No.  So for whatever reason some people gravitate towards a certain way that might not be the typically taught way.  I tried teaching my older kid the "right" way.  For years and years we practiced penmanship.  Well ultimately he gravitated towards his way.  It kinda makes me cringe!  But it works for him so what can I do? 

 

To the OP, how many Americans have you actually observed writing?  I doubt enough to be able to conclude anything.  My husband was born and grew up in Germany where they had penmanship instruction (I grew up with penmanship instruction as well).  They used fountain pens.  They did all sorts of things that are supposedly superior to the way it is done in the US.  His penmanship is terrible.  I don't, however, attribute it to his instruction or claim the instruction wasn't good enough.  For some reason he just has lousy penmanship. 

[Garga]

Ok--perhaps my wording should be, "There is a standard way."  

[AMJ]

There are actually many different forms of "correct" pencil grips, and some ergonomics experts encourage people who write by hand a lot to switch grips every so often to reduce strain and RSI.  Also keep in mind that not everyone's hands are identical in shape and proportion, so a grip that works well for one person doesn't necessarily work well for someone else.

 

Stage of development (when growing) can have an effect, as can hand-eye coordination issues.  My DD has dysgraphia, a eye-input-hand-output problem, and trying to force her to one particular hand grip only makes matters worse.  I sympathize heartily because I have been-there-done-that and likely have undiagnosed dysgraphia myself.  Both of my kids shared a tendency I had when young to hold the pencil differently than they/I do now -- it was the only way to be able to see the letters and make them correctly, and was something we all grew out of.

 

Then consider injury.  I broke my off hand when I was a teen and the bones never lined up the same way again.  Being my non-dominant hand this didn't affect my writing, but it certainly does affect how I hold foods I am chopping (can't do the claw grip) and how I grip weights at the gym (have to alter form to do the exercises correctly while maintaining a good grip on the weights).  No one can tell my hand is any different until they closely observe how I use it, and even then they think I'm just doing things wrong.  

 

Different isn't necessarily wrong.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ok--perhaps my wording should be, "There is a standard way."  

 

There is a standard way, but there is variation in the standard way.  It's not just one way and that is it.  At least that isn't what I found when I went looking.

[Guest]

The penmanship curriculum I used discusses two standard grips: the tri-something grip and the quad-something grip. So even a curriculum designed to promote good penmanship doesn't say there's one right way.

[shawthorne44]

There are definitely wrong ways to hold a pen/pencil.   I have a permanent dent in my thumb from my pencil grip.  If you look at my thumb it looks fine, but if you touch it you can feel the channel made by years of holding pens/pencils wrong.  

 

I think the trouble is many people are using a wrong way and having hand strain when they write for any extended time period.  I'm glad that at least mine doesn't do that, and since I don't write much the dent is starting to heal.  

 

But, to answer the original question, No, it isn't taught.   Parents don't insist and it isn't fun to teach.  

[rainbowmama]

Why does it matter, as long as it works and they don't get finger strain?

 

I held my pencil with all five fingers into adulthood. I changed it when I started working on fixing my oldest child's finger grip after a year of kindergarten where they didn't bother fixing it. Holding it with all five fingers smudged the writing as I wrote. I wish someone would have corrected it when I was younger.

[Laura Corin]

I really don't think it's important these days: I rarely write by hand, and when I do it is just a quick note.

[73349]

American kids are encouraged to start writing and drawing when they're very young (~3) and a bad grip is often not corrected promptly. That's why I hold a pencil/pen wrong.

Unfortunately, my grip causes pain when writing more than a few sentences in a row. It didn't really cause trouble until around 4th grade, and by then I had been writing for several years and it was really too late.

I love word processing.

[Critterfixer]

I do think that there is scant attention paid to the mechanical act of writing. Grip to me is a very small part of the picture. But I did pay attention to it, and the boys were presented with some grips that I found were natural and comfortable for me. Predictably, one sort of adopted my grip, and the other has a quad-grip that serves him well. 

The only thing I yap about is making sure that there is space on the table to make sure everybody gets their elbows up on it. A long day of writing should be felt in the upper arm, not in the wrist. Paper position, keeping that arm well supported from the shoulder down with a good, wide writing space, and proper chair at the right height for the child are just as important in reducing writing fatigue. 

Just an aside, but the teaching of writing should also include a session on how to use a keyboard without killing your back, neck and wrists. 

[FloridaLisa]

This is such an interesting thread b/c I'm right now trying to retrain my dd how to hold her pencil. She's right-handed and seems to use all her fingers. I'm using some grip trainers on her pencils. I'm pretty sure all of my children needed some help with their pencil grip. My youngest is fussing a bit but I'm hoping in the long run it will help her legibility and reduce strain. But following to see how this is working for others!

[purpleowl]

Odd first (and only) post. It reads to me like a homework assignment, but maybe you're just a homeschooler who's wondered this for a long time and finally decided to ask, lol. :)

 

My oldest uses a quadrupod grasp, which is one of several "correct" ways to hold a pencil. It did stress me out a bit that she wanted to hold it that way (instead of the tripod grasp I use), but then I read up on it and realized what she does is just a variation and not something that's going to result in hand fatigue when she's older. I can't remember right now whether DD#2 uses tripod or quadrupod, but it's one of those. 

Edited October 13, 2016 by purpleowl

[TranquilMind]

Almost everyone I see in Europe and Asia hold their pens the same way: with the tips of their thumb and index finger, supported by their middle finger. However, I see Americans hold their pens in all kinds of incorrect ways. Some are pretty strange and hard to describe. It seems like everyone has their own individual way. Are children in America taught the correct hand posture? How important is it in American education? Why do all these variations occur? I would appreciate your thoughts.

 

I have always held it with the first two fingers and the thumb on the pen, so it is supported by the ring finger. 

 

For over half a century I have done this.  Not changing now.  ;)    Though I have noticed that most others seem to do it the way you say,  I don't know. It's what I did and no one ever said anything about it.  I wrote well, so I guess that is all that mattered. 

 

[KarenNC]

I evidently use a tripod grip (so that I have a permanent callous and dent on the thumb side of my middle finger just above the first joint--does anyone who writes by hand much *not* have a dent/callous of some sort?) and have, if I may say it, very nice handwriting. As close as I can tell from the photos on the web, my daughter uses a quadropod grasp with a thumb wrap and her penmanship is legible but is not going to win any awards for appearance. Why? Because I finally decided, after years of repositioning her fingers, correcting her, buying corrective pencil grip after corrective pencil grip, copywork, and enduring much frustration, that this was no longer a hill I was willing to die on.

 

Her speed is sufficient for getting through the essays on the SAT and ACT adequately and she can evidently take adequate notes in her dual enrollment classes. If, at some point in her life, the appearance of her handwriting becomes a big enough issue to her, she will choose to work on it (and that's about the extent of my dip into unschooling ;) ).

Edited October 13, 2016 by KarenNC

[Butter]

I hold my pen the way the OP described.  It's how I was taught to hold it in elementary school in the 80s.  It's how they wanted the kindergarteners to hold their pencils when Adrian was in school in 2013.  It's the pencil grip I taught my kids.  Three of my kids hold it the way they were taught.  The other one holds it the ways she wants and feels comfortable.  She has beautiful handwriting so I'm not concerned whether it is "right" or not.

[Guest]

Some of it is just the kid. I taught penmanship and with rigorous about correct grip, but I still find one of my kids switching her grip to a claw whenever I'm not looking. It's been four years of correcting this daily. The others sometimes try to use a sloppy grip but it's not as bad as hers. I can't explain why - we use the triangular fat pencils and easily flowing pens, plenty of practice, cursive only, etc etc.

[Fast_and_Curious]

I disagree.  Someone might think their way is the right way and want to promote it.  They might even convince a bunch of people that their way is "the" right way, but in reality, the only thing necessary is that the writing get on the paper.  To do that, I don't give a hoot how anyone holds anything.  Someone else's insistence that they have the "right" way only makes me laugh.

 

That said, there may be "better" ways that don't affect muscles as much or something similar, but no, I will never agree that there is one right way.  In the end, hold it however is comfortable for you.

 

For years everyone "knew" that humans were right handed too and spent oodles of time (& more) correcting those who weren't.

 

Yes, there definitely is the right way. Apparently, it's called "dynamic tripod". Children in Europe and most of other countries are taught to write that way. I didn't even know what it was called, but I was taught to hold the pencil that way. It does matter how you sit while writing, at what angle you position your eyes, your hand, your pen and paper etc. It's important for children to learn the proper ways when they first start writing, so they can avoid bad habits. I only hear Americans say they had no idea there was a correct way to hold a pencil. But then again, they are no longer taught cursive either and think it's unnecessary nowadays.

 

You are right about left-handedness; there seems to be a constant percent of left-handed people in all societies and there is no need to correct that, because it's a fact that the dominant half of your brain also decides which hand will be dominant for you.

[Fast_and_Curious]

 

SparklyUnicorn, on 13 Oct 2016 -2:09 PM, said:

To the OP, how many Americans have you actually observed writing?  I doubt enough to be able to conclude anything.

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I have observed enough, and after noticing this phenomenon I actually started researching it, paying attention to how people write and comparing. I found a Finnish study which compares the ways Finnish and American children hold their pencils when writing. The conclusion was that about 60% of Finnish children hold it correctly, as opposed to only 10% of American children. American children were also holding it in much more different and awkward ways. That confirmed my own observations.

 

[creekland]

Yes, there definitely is the right way. Apparently, it's called "dynamic tripod". Children in Europe and most of other countries are taught to write that way. I didn't even know what it was called, but I was taught to hold the pencil that way. It does matter how you sit while writing, at what angle you position your eyes, your hand, your pen and paper etc. It's important for children to learn the proper ways when they first start writing, so they can avoid bad habits. I only hear Americans say they had no idea there was a correct way to hold a pencil. But then again, they are no longer taught cursive either and think it's unnecessary nowadays.

 

Well then, I suppose we all know why this is the "right" way (since humans naturally consider what they are familiar and happy with to be "right").  ;)

 

And now I have another response I can use when folks wonder why I'm not normal.   :lol:

 

(With pencil/pen grip in general, I've no idea if I'm "right" or not, nor do I care, of course.  I can still use this excuse as to why I'm not normal for other things in life.   :coolgleamA: )

 

With so many things I've supposedly done incorrectly, isn't it amazing that my kids grew up ok???   :svengo:

 

Or wait... maybe they're like me and aren't ok...  :tongue_smilie:

[TKDmom]

There's a "correct" way???

 

Exactly! :lol: I would have never hear about "correct" pencil grips if I didn't frequent these forums. 

[Sahamamama2]

Because for the last 40 years or so, American schools have neglected to teach penmanship. The children who did not learn to properly hold their writing implements went on to not teach their own children to properly hold their crayons and pencils and whatnot, and when those children went to school, they weren't properly taught there, either.

 

:iagree: This is the #1 Reason -- penmanship has been woefully neglected in the US for a long time.

[Fast_and_Curious]

Well then, I suppose we all know why this is the "right" way (since humans naturally consider what they are familiar and happy with to be "right").   ;)

 

 

I didn't say this is the right way because I was taught it. I wasn't the only one who was taught that way. Here in Europe penmanship is still quite important. I rarely see the various pencil grips that seem to be pretty common in America. There is something that is considered the correct hand posture.

 

[jewellsmommy]

I was taught to hold a pencil/pen the way the op describes (dynamic Tripod). I taught dd this way as per instructions from HWOT. They taught 2 ways if I remember correctly, but they had a trick to make it easier for kids. Dd, unfortunately, always had trouble maintaining the grip. I found out years later that this was a common problem for dysgraphics.

 

That being said, I read a study not long ago done by pediatric occupational therapists that said they found that there was difference in speed or legibility among 5 different grips that they studied.

[Cake and Pi]

I have a main grip, but I use at least 3 different pencil grips on a regular basis with my right hand, one of which is a "correct" grip.   I only use two grips with my left hand (one "correct").  No matter how I hold a pencil or which hand I use, I get fatigued and have horrible handwriting.  

 

It seems reasonable to discourage a very awkward grip, and it makes sense to teach a "correct" grip when beginning handwriting instruction.  That said, there appear to be quite a few functional non-standard grips that could work equally well for different people.

[creekland]

I didn't say this is the right way because I was taught it. I wasn't the only one who was taught that way. Here in Europe penmanship is still quite important. I rarely see the various pencil grips that seem to be pretty common in America. There is something that is considered the correct hand posture.

 

 

I know you didn't say it that way.  It's a brain science reason why you believe as you do.  Humans naturally believe that what they are brought up with is the best and/or correct (as long as they like it) and assume all others should agree with them.  It could be a recipe/way of eating, it could be the spelling of color/colour, it could be parenting style.  There are many places where one can see this in action.

 

Apparently now it could also be pencil grip.   ;)

 

IRL, there is not one "right" way.  It's only a perception some have.

 

Even when folks have competitions - from card games to essay writing to athletics - rules are published to establish what is "right" for the competition because they acknowledge others have different ways of doing things (different competitions for the same thing can have different rules too) and want to set the bar for their event(s).

 

Perhaps penmanship has competitions where there is one "right" way for those events.  Perhaps not too.  I'm too lazy to google.  But IRL, sorry, there isn't one single "right" way for everyone.

Edited October 14, 2016 by creekland

[creekland]

Exactly! :lol: I would have never hear about "correct" pencil grips if I didn't frequent these forums. 

 

It's awesome the way the Hive can fill in gaps in our education - some real (facts of some sort), and some perceived (opinions folks hold dearly).   :coolgleamA:

 

Since we're supposed to learn something new every day, it helps to read the boards because that's usually where I find my tidbit of knowledge.

 

I wonder what's in store for today... though I probably won't be on nearly as much this weekend since middle son is coming home this evening for his Fall Break and I'll be gleaning info from him instead.   :hurray:   That and gorging on as many favorite meals as we can squeeze into a weekend... and playing games... and visiting the Baltimore Aquarium... and general reminiscing/discussions - all sorts of fun stuff.  I'm sure I'll still get my "something new" in every day at least.  I'll probably even save up some extras in case I miss some days in the future.  ;)

[Janeway]

I guess I am the odd American. When my children do not have a good grip, I send them to an OT.

[AMJ]

I guess I am the odd American. When my children do not have a good grip, I send them to an OT.

 

 

My child's OT was the big one that got the school to back off on requiring my DD to use a particular grip (the one they all believed was "the right grip").  She taught me a lot about various grips and informed me that my "wrong" grips I used so much when I was a kid weren't wrong at all.

[maize]

The OT at our local elementary school told me not to worry about dd's thumb wrap grip. He said a variety of grips can work as long as the writing hand is not too tense.

 

The fact that there is a "proper" way that is taught in many places really does not mean that that way is better than all others and that allowing a child to use a grip that is comfortable to them is wrong.

 

An analogous situation is violin bow holds--there are a number of schools of thought on what is best and teachers usually have a favorite, but the most important factor is actually that the bowhold is comfortable for the student and that they avoid unecessary tension in the hand.

Edited October 14, 2016 by maize

[ElizaG]

In past generations, even in the US, it was well known that holding a pen was unnatural and quite challenging, and that children had to be helped along with it over the course of a few years. 

 

Quite a few of the Montessori preschool materials are designed to encourage the development of the correct grip for writing.   For instance, the knobbed cylinders, the metal insets, and the map pieces, all have to be held with a pincer grip, rather than just grabbed in ways that might come easier to the young child.

 

This feature was also found in commercial educational toys, such as knob puzzles.  For arts and crafts, parents and kindergartens would buy the hard type of modeling clay -- and small children would struggle laboriously to roll it into balls and "worms" -- in order to build muscle strength for writing.   These days, it seems as if most wooden puzzles just have the cut-out shapes (without the knobs), and modeling clay for children tends to be very soft.  Apparently, today's adults have forgotten the physical part of these toys' purpose.  

 

Meanwhile, as a PP mentioned, American children are expected to start writing by age 3 or so.   Even if adults try to correct them, it's quite possible that they physically can't hold the writing instrument with a tripod grip.   So they form the habit of using some sort of idiosyncratic grip instead.

 

Looking at early 20th century sources, I'm starting to think that pretty much everything that's currently done in OT, is what used to be recommended for all children in kindergarten and the primary grades.  :001_huh:

[mathnerd]

An analogous situation is violin bow holds--there are a number of schools of thought on what is best and teachers usually have a favorite, but the most important factor is actually that the bowhold is comfortable for the student and that they avoid unecessary tension in the hand.

 

You hit the nail on the head! Exactly this. Another analogy is the piano hand position - different schools of music preach different types of finger and wrist positions. But, eventually, the only thing that works is the position that puts the least stress on the hand.

 

I was taught the proper pencil hold (in europe) when I was growing up. I have come to believe that the child can adapt his pencil hold to suit his hand. I never enforced the proper pencil hold on my child - I demonstrated and let him do it his way. He writes well, a little bit laboriously, but his grip is not the "Standardized grip". It does not matter - he will start working on his key board from 5th grade onwards. I personally have not written in a notebook for several years (only keyboarding even for grocery lists and such). I believe that my son's pencil grip is good enough to serve him well on the occasions when he is required to sign a check (or sign at the DMV), but, who knows, even that might become redundant in 10 years!

[ElizaG]

Interesting article (pictures are missing, unfortunately) :

 

The Stages of Hand Grip for Writing

[Guest]

BUT HOW ARE PENCILS HELD IN CHINA?! 

 

Certainly the way the Chinese do it--and surely they all do it just one way, right?-- is the correct way. Afterall, the Chinese are 18.5% of the world population. Which is the most. So if they say it's right, it's RIGHT. This is America where we do things by majority vote, dagamit!

 

 

[creekland]

BUT HOW ARE PENCILS HELD IN CHINA?! 

 

Certainly the way the Chinese do it--and surely they all do it just one way, right?-- is the correct way. Afterall, the Chinese are 18.5% of the world population. Which is the most. So if they say it's right, it's RIGHT. This is America where we do things by majority vote, dagamit!

 

In my family it's "One Woman, One Vote."

 

(The rest of my family is all guys and they've yet to figure out they can vote unless I give them permission, so SHH!)

[Guest]

So now I'm curious. As a natural extension of this conversation, for those who do think there's "one right way" to hold a writing utensil, do you also believe there is "one right way" to form letters?

[Fast_and_Curious]

I know you didn't say it that way.  It's a brain science reason why you believe as you do.  Humans naturally believe that what they are brought up with is the best and/or correct (as long as they like it) and assume all others should agree with them.  It could be a recipe/way of eating, it could be the spelling of color/colour, it could be parenting style. 

 

That's quite different. I may have my own preferences, but I can't say that there is only one correct way. "Colour" is the standard British spelling and "color" is the standard American spelling. As for food and other cultural categories, it very much varies across the world, as well as between the individuals. You can't discuss tastes. I would never say that my way is the only correct one, but this pencil grip is taught as the standard one, and I believe that's for a reason.

[Fast_and_Curious]

 

 

 It does not matter - he will start working on his key board from 5th grade onwards. I personally have not written in a notebook for several years (only keyboarding even for grocery lists and such). I believe that my son's pencil grip is good enough to serve him well on the occasions when he is required to sign a check (or sign at the DMV), but, who knows, even that might become redundant in 10 years!

 

I don't think that is good thinking. I think it would be sad to let the art of penmanship die. Of course, keyboards make things much easier, but they can never replace our hands, just as computers can never replace our brains.

[maize]

That's quite different. I may have my own preferences, but I can't say that there is only one correct way. "Colour" is the standard British spelling and "color" is the standard American spelling. As for food and other cultural categories, it very much varies across the world, as well as between the individuals. You can't discuss tastes. I would never say that my way is the only correct one, but this pencil grip is taught as the standard one, and I believe that's for a reason.

Of course there is a reason: Tradition!

[Fast_and_Curious]

 

OP, my question is...what about the tripod grip makes it the "right" way? 

 

I did my own little experiment.  I wrote my entire grocery list using a tripod grip.  And while it felt slightly off because it wasn't what I was used to, it didn't feel any more or less tense, difficult or anything.  I felt that I could easily change to a tripod grip if I made the effort to make the change.  But....my handwriting wasn't any nicer.  So, I am not sure what purpose it would serve to make the change.

 

The tripod grip (or more precisely, dynamic tripod) is considered the most optimal way because it allows you to handle the pencil with precision, stability, but also the needed flexibility, with as little fatigue as possible and better handwriting. Of course, if you are used to some other way because you have used it your whole life, the correct way will feel unnatural and your handwriting may be even worse, so you will not notice any benefits of using this way.

[creekland]

That's quite different. I may have my own preferences, 

 

You can see it differently, of course, but as others have pointed out, there is more than one accepted "correct" way.  It's all preferences.

 

Whether one even opts for a "correct" way or not is a preference.  There's nothing illegal, immoral, or unethical about choosing what one prefers for gripping a pen/pencil.

[Fast_and_Curious]

So now I'm curious. As a natural extension of this conversation, for those who do think there's "one right way" to hold a writing utensil, do you also believe there is "one right way" to form letters?

 

Traditionally, there is. When we start learning to write, we get examples of what every letter should look like and are required to copy that. Of course, not everyone's handwriting looks the same way when they grow up. That may be personal preferences, intentional changes, combination of print and cursive, etc.

[mathnerd]

I don't think that is good thinking. I think it would be sad to let the art of penmanship die. Of course, keyboards make things much easier, but they can never replace our hands, just as computers can never replace our brains.

It is not my thinking - in my area (in California) most private schools and public schools begin allowing students to use keyboards to type in assignments at 5th grade or before. The percentage of work done on computers goes up as the student moves towards high school - and there is a lot of emphasis on reducing paper usage and going greener. The students are given the choice to use a computer to write in or not - most are even provided chrome books by their schools to write their assignments in. Many high schoolers use iPads and apps like Evernote and OneNote to not only take notes, but to add pictures of the whiteboard, voice recordings of the teacher etc when they write. A lot of the standardized tests are taken on the computer. These schools also use things like Khan Academy and Brain Pop for educating their students though a computer can never replace a teacher in a school (though I heard of a pilot project locally that is using a "Flipped Classroom" model where students learn online from a pre-recorded teacher at home ). So, keyboards are replacing penmanship where I am at. 

Penmanship is stressed a lot in the early elementary years only.

Edited October 14, 2016 by mathnerd

[Guest]

Traditionally, there is. When we start learning to write, we get examples of what every letter should look like and are required to copy that. Of course, not everyone's handwriting looks the same way when they grow up. That may be personal preferences, intentional changes, combination of print and cursive, etc.

I have two different handwriting curriculum sitting right beside me, yet both show the letters as being different. (Zaner-Bloser, Handwriting Without Tears). And both of these are different from how I was taught to form letters, especially in the cursive mode.

 

It is my belief that there's no "one right way" as long as the letters are recognizable. I extend that logic to pencil grip as well.