Yes! Parents and students ask this question all of the time. The best and shortest answer is, YES. If you don’t have a proper pencil grip then surely you are familiar with the hand fatigue that comes from using an improper and inefficient grip.
When your child has a longer writing assignment do you see her shaking out her hand when she gets worn out? Is your little boy avoiding that long written worksheet of math facts even though you know that he has them all memorized? Does your high school student have a callous on her finger from pressing too hard when taking notes in class?
These are all signs that your child is working too hard to complete the simple mechanical act of writing. For many students, convincing them to change their pencil grip can be daunting. With the right incentives in place, most kids can make the shift in 30 days. But how?
At Pathfinders, our favorite pencil gripper is the “Grotto Grip.” We learned about this tool from a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. There are so many different pencil grippers out there and this one that has been the best in helping our students to reposition their fingers. The trick is to always have your Grotto Grip ready for every writing assignment. That might mean having one or two at home, and another one at school. Use the link below to learn more or order directly.
https://pathwaysforlearning.com/Products_-_Grotto_Grip.html
Learn more about why learning handwriting is important to overall brain function and success in the classroom. Download Brenda’s article, “The Handwriting Connection” here:
http://www.pathfinderslearning.com/handwriting-connection-download-request/