Developing a child’s pencil grasp correctly is not just about helping them learn how to write, it is about teaching them how to grip. That is why we are constantly engaging in activities that help your little ones strengthen their fine motor skills, specifically their pencil grasp.

By age 3 to 4 a young child will learn how to write using the static tripod grasp or quadrupod grasp. This grasp consists of them holding writing utensils crudely and using the whole pads of their fingers on the writing utensil.

There also may still be some wrist and forearm movement to move the pencil, with the fingers not moving, or static. For this activity, we practiced strengthening the muscles responsible for this grasp with a squeezing activity.

As part of our “birds” week, we manipulated feathered clothespins, placing them onto trees in our “rainforests”. Students used their quadrupod grasp to grip the pins, creating a very colorful aviary!