mom2Hh Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 My son is 5.5 and refuses to hold a pencil the way I show him (tripod). He does what I think is called an overhand grip where the pencil length is in his pam under his hand. It is sort of an artist type grip perhaps. He LOVES to draw and he writes letters and likes to write books (I tell him how to spell, etc.) But he has never wanted to do writing practice/worksheets. I wait long periods of time before trying to get him to use the right grip. I've tried explaining how it will seem hard at first but once he's used to it he will be able to draw even more things, etc. I've tried a pencil grip- I think the stetro. so.....I'm thinking he needs more strength and coordination. He has doesn't even do buttons. Early on I thought he had a good pincer grasp and played with matchbox cars and little things way before many children. (But there are other things about him that make me think he needs more than just finger strengthening but I'm not sure. He can't do jumping jacks for example- is that normal for a 5.5 yr old?) I would like a list of ideas to do with him that will help strengthen his fingers. He was using those pearler beads last week (the little round plastic :glare: beads that get melted together) and I think he was even using his pointer/index and middle finger along with his thumb to pick them up instead of just the pincer grasp (thumb and index). sorry to be long-winded... If you have some simple ideas for me please share! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 My daughter lost the use of her right hand at age 5.5, and had to relearn to write with her left. Her left hand was much weaker as her non-dominant hand, and these were the exercises her occupational therapist gave us: bury some buttons in silly putty and have him dig them out pinch play doh into balls give him teeny tiny bits of chalk--it forces the proper grip have him do the pick-up-the-pencil activity given in the teacher manual buy a HWT pencil grip Struggling to do a jumping jack at 5.5 is fairly normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 use chop sticks to pick up pom-poms and stuff, get the plastic-attached kind that they train little kids to use first. puzzles with knobs. sorting different small items, like shells, beads. Using a spoon to take small items out of rice. those are the kinds of things we did. Oh, and cutting with scissors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktkcb Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 The claw :o). http://writingclaw.com/default.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Put the pencil away for a few months. Activities for Fine Motor Skills Development is a great resource for improving fine motor skills. I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Therapy putty - make snakes, then pinch off pieces; make balls, flatten; [you] hide buttons or coins in putty; child finds them; shape into creatures. If you don't have therapy putty, substitute modeling clay. Play-doh is too soft and easily worked to be effective. String beads onto pipe cleaners or shoe laces. Rolling ribbons Cutting with scissors Lace a shapes Sewing (use large needle and yarn or string in felt or plastic canvas) Puzzles Tongs - move cotton balls from one bowl to another. Also try tweezers. Thumb wrestling Finger plays - itsy bitsy spider, here is the church, others Large motor activities to strengthen muscles. Swimming, gymnastics, martial arts, riding bike, climbing on play structures, etc. Pip-squeak markers are too short to hold in a barrel grasp. You can also try pencil stubs or crayon stubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2Hh Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 Put the pencil away for a few months. Activities for Fine Motor Skills Development is a great resource for improving fine motor skills. I highly recommend it. well, he draws non-stop though. Do you mean just don't attempt any handwriting practice? He would be devestated if I told him he couldn't draw!! I actually couldn't do that. He was using his favorite and only black crayon for a time that we nick-named "L'il black" which was a nub. So that was good for him. Unfortunately I just let him have a new box of crayons.... Oh- and forgot to mention he's left-handed.... how tiny on the chalk bits? because I've seen him work that middle finger in.. or is that ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 At 5.5 yo I'd let him hold the pencil however he likes. It's great that he likes to draw, write letters, write stories! I wouldn't risk squashing that creativity with rules about how to hold the pencil. And artists do hold pencils differently - encourage him. Put the formal stuff away for a while. Just my thoughts. :) BTW, this is what we did and I don't have any regrets. Honestly, we didn't even do any spelling until much older. We let the creativity flow. Dd is a writer and an artist. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 In addition to all the wonderful ideas others have already suggested, I'll add wind-up toys and various miniature old-fashioned kid toys. I found some great little wind-up toys, spinning tops, squeeze toys and hand-crank music boxes in bins at fabulous toy store for reasonable costs. I also got miniature deck of cards, which my boys like playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 well, he draws non-stop though. Do you mean just don't attempt any handwriting practice? He would be devestated if I told him he couldn't draw!! I actually couldn't do that. He was using his favorite and only black crayon for a time that we nick-named "L'il black" which was a nub. So that was good for him. Unfortunately I just let him have a new box of crayons.... Oh- and forgot to mention he's left-handed.... how tiny on the chalk bits? because I've seen him work that middle finger in.. or is that ok? That reminds me of rock crayons! They're great and it's almost impossible to hold them in anything but a tri-pod grip. http://www.amazon.com/Crayon-Rocks-Sixteen-Colors-Velvet/dp/B002EODQBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298587972&sr=8-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J'etudie Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I've heard chalk no longer than 1" and to stand at an easel to write as it would strengthen the shoulder muscles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2Hh Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 Thanks everyone. I'm getting lots of good ideas. I know that there are people out there that would say not to worry about it at his age but I keep reading that the longer they use an incorrect grip and the older they are the harder it is to change. His grip is not a fisted a grip- that I would guess he would outgrow. This is something that seems impossible for me to help him change unless he is willing and sees the reasons why he should try to change. I know that he will not be able to do sustained writing with his grip even though he can form letters fairly neatly right now. He has trouble coloring because he does not have the fine, small control with his grip. I want to try these strengthening ideas that have been suggested. But what do some of you think of also implementing practice sessions- 5 minutes of holding the pencil in a proper grip with our without a special grip on the pencil. Or maybe not until we've done lots of the other activites and also used plenty of short chalk and crayon nubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 If he can form letters neatly, I honestly wouldn't worry about the coloring. I'm a leftie, and I have the most atrocious handwriting, in part because I had teachers who tried to force me into unnatural positions for my seating, slant, and pencil holding. (And my handwriting is BAD... my 9 year old who's learning cursive has better penmanship than I do.) My 8 yo son is just starting to get to where he consistently colors within the lines, but he's there. I'm another vote for don't worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2Hh Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 .... buy a HWT pencil grip... I'm not seeing those on the website... I read somewhere on the Handwriting without tears site not to use grips. are they new? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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