Letter Formation/Holding a Pencil

[breadnbutter]

So I don’t know how I missed it the past couple years, but my ds8 has the oddest way of holding a pencil, he grips it with all four fingers somehow. I’ve also noticed his letter formations are all wrong, he writes almost everything bottom up and not according to “the bookâ€. So add those two together and his handwriting is what I call Kindergarten writing. He can write neatly when he really tries and he actually does a great job at drawing.

 

My question is, at 8 yo, how useless is it to try to reteach him to print his letters correctly. And yes, I’m planning on starting cursive this year. And it is impossible to teach him a new way to grip his pencil? Or is there a problem with him holding it in any way that is comfortable to him?

 

I also have a almost 5yo who is learning to write, just on his own... how hard to you push at that age to do the letters correctly? My kids never seemed to want to follow the little dots and arrows in the handwriting books. At that age he’s just so proud of himself for writing letters that I hate having to stand over him and correct every letter he writes.

 

Love to hear your thoughts.... how much of a stickler are you when it comes to early handwriting?

[hsbaby]

I am much more picky about neatness than holding a pencil correctly. Probably because I don't hold mine correctly, listened to every teacher harp on me about to no avail, and don't even know how to hold it correctly myself:). I never could figure out why, if my writing was neat, it mattered how I held my pencil! Attempting to do it the "right" way is, for me, like trying to write with my left hand.

Edited June 1, 2011 by hsbaby

[Lilymax]

I'll be watching this with much interest, as my 9 y.o. is the same way! He has the oddest way of forming his letters and numbers, but it's neater than his older brother, who holds his pencil and writes everything the "correct" way!

[amo_mea_filiis.]

If it is functional, I might leave it alone. If not functional, correct it.

 

Since you're moving into cursive, teach everything new.

[Stacia]

I am much more picky about neatness than holding a pencil correctly. Probably because I don't hold mine correctly, listened to every teacher harp on me about to no avail, and don't even know how to hold it correctly myself:). I never could figure out why, if my writing was neat, it mattered how I held my pencil! Attempting to do it the "right" way is, for me, like trying to write with my left hand.

 

:iagree:

 

This is my soapbox issue! Seriously, who deemed that every single human on the planet should hold a pencil in the same manner????? :tongue_smilie:

 

Wrong pencil-holders, unite! :D:lol:

[breadnbutter]

Well I only was concerned about the grip because of the way he wrote his letters and not sure if the two were related.

 

In the meantime I will keep motivating him to write neatly (i.e. bribery) and make a fresh start with cursive!

[kht2006]

There are two GREAT reasons to change pencil grip ....Pain and/or stress on a joint. (white knukles, complains after writing). If that's the case you can try a finger strengthening program for handwriting. First strokes handwriting has one called pencil gymnasitics. It's fun:)

 

There are other good reasons to try to change pencil grip such as if he can't see the pencil tip when he's writing, or if he is not able to form hoops, loops or other connectors with movement at the fingers in preparation for cursive.

 

Changing letter formation when it's legible in the end is very very difficult almost impossible becuase the motor patterns are established and the reason for change is hard for the kid to understand.

 

Cursive provides the opportunity to start with new motor patterns. Do only supervised practice at first so bad habbits don't form.

[breadnbutter]

There are two GREAT reasons to change pencil grip ....Pain and/or stress on a joint. (white knukles, complains after writing). If that's the case you can try a finger strengthening program for handwriting. First strokes handwriting has one called pencil gymnasitics. It's fun:)

 

There are other good reasons to try to change pencil grip such as if he can't see the pencil tip when he's writing, or if he is not able to form hoops, loops or other connectors with movement at the fingers in preparation for cursive.

 

Changing letter formation when it's legible in the end is very very difficult almost impossible becuase the motor patterns are established and the reason for change is hard for the kid to understand.

 

Cursive provides the opportunity to start with new motor patterns. Do only supervised practice at first so bad habbits don't form.

 

 

Thanks, good food for thought!

[Ellie]

It isn't useless, but it will be difficult. You'll need to teach, remediate, correct, repeat. Gently, of course, but still consistently.

 

You might try letting him use a fountain pen. It just isn't possible to have a death grip on a fountain pen and write at the same time.:001_smile:

[breadnbutter]

It isn't useless, but it will be difficult. You'll need to teach, remediate, correct, repeat. Gently, of course, but still consistently.

 

You might try letting him use a fountain pen. It just isn't possible to have a death grip on a fountain pen and write at the same time.:001_smile:

 

That makes so much sense.... my daughter has a fountain pen in her calligraphy set. I remember when she was using it she even had a hard time remembering to make all her strokes from the top down. Great idea, thanks Ellie!

[cat]

I do not quite get it, because it looks so uncomfortable!

 

My son has always held his pencil like this.... I have tried to correct it, and no luck! Handwriting without tears has printouts that he can look at so they can see how to correctly hold the pencil and they have little encouragements to get them to hold it correctly.

 

My son also writes from the bottom up! He is right handed. I also have a left handed child and he writes from the bottom up, and it appears this is very common in left handers. Your child may always write from the bottom up when he prints...... it will be very beneficial to teach him to use cursive. Cursive forces him to write going in the correct direction.

 

My boys are also dysgraphic, not sure if that has anything to do with why they have strange pencil grips. I have had them use several writing aids to help them.... pencil grips, pencils by Yoro for left handers, and other types of pens/pencils to help.

 

Check out the writing aids at http://www.lifesolutionsplus.com and google writing aids, you will probably have to try a few until you find what works for your child,,,,,but you will find some that will help him change/help his grip.

 

My kids often tell me their hands hurt....it's because they apply to much pressure......

 

I am now teaching them to type.

Edited June 2, 2011 by cat

[Ellie]

I also have a almost 5yo who is learning to write, just on his own... how hard to you push at that age to do the letters correctly? My kids never seemed to want to follow the little dots and arrows in the handwriting books. At that age he’s just so proud of himself for writing letters that I hate having to stand over him and correct every letter he writes.

Well, you could start him with Spalding or one of its spin-offs, which teaches letter sounds and letter formation simultaneously, with specific instuctions on how to write the letters. No dots and dashes and whatnot. And Spalding also teaches (well, *you* teach Spalding, lol) the children how to analyze what they're done objectively, rather than being made to feel as if they're being criticized or corrected all the time.