pencil grip/technique problem

[sbgrace]

One of my kids (he's almost six) has some fine motor issues. I've been working on pencil grip and he's improving in terms of grasp quality as I've used a writing claw. But he's holding his pencil/crayon nearly straight up and down. That makes an awkward and difficult way to write and he can't see what he's doing so he's constantly lifting the crayon up to see.

 

I can't seem to get him to hold the pencil at an angle.

 

Any suggestions?

[CathyinNC]

Just an idea-

 

Try having him wear a large rubber band around his wrist. Then slip the end of the rubber band up over the eraser of the pencil. That should force the pencil back to a more proper angle until he gets used to it and forms the grip on his own.

[SonshineLearner]

I purchased pencil grips from Spell to Read and Write... any school supply spot should have them... They are three sided and I purchased 10.

 

:-)

[dirty ethel rackham]

If the pencil is straight up, he may be holding it too tightly. This was my son's problem. This is often to compensate for poor fine motor control. Continue reminding him to let the pencil rest on the crook of his hand. Work on strengthening those hand and finger muscles by squishing playdough and clay, picking up small objects with pincer grasp, using tweezers or rubber-banded chop sticks to pick things up. We also used to "paint" with dried spaghetti. I had my son trace figures in a coloring book using tracing paper. What finally worked for my son was mechanical pencils. If he pressed too hard, the lead broke.

[sbgrace]

Thank you guys! I was worried no one would have an idea.

 

I'm confident he's holding too tightly to compensate! I know I keep thinking that not only is the angle off but he's got a death grip and is bearing down. But I didn't connect the two. I'm going to get those three sided things, work on the fine motor apart from writing more deliberately, try the rubber band thing with his crayons and switch to mechanical pencils!

 

Thank you!