Holiding the pen properly to write?

[FrostyGlassSlipper]

At what age should a child be able to do this?

How can it be encouraged?

That's it really.

[oljam]

DS2 has held a pen beautifully since he was just over 2. However DS1 at 5 still really struggles. School have been giving me grief about it for nearly a year now. In the end, because he's left handed, I went out and bought the pre-school pack from everything left handed which had all the special triangular shaped pencils. I told the teacher that I'd bought them to help his writing so could she make sure he used them. They also supplied an exercise book which helps children, and I have to say after 10 mins or so of practicing with the new pencils every couple of days, he now thinks about how to hold his pen and is even making headway with normal pens. So it's worth a try. I have to say this has all been achieved by me and him working together, all his teacher did was give him a complex about not being able to hold a pen properly. I could never understand why every time he picked up a pencil she didn't take the time to correct him, it only takes a matter of seconds. Still all sorted now.

[BettySpaghetti]

DS is 3.5 and cannot hold a pencil at all. I try and show him how, he does it correctly for all of 5 seconds and then reverts to holding like a weapon again.

DD was always able to hold it correctly from 2 yo.

[Desiderata]

There aren't any rules, Frosty.

The only rule worth noting is that they all get there in the end.

My ds has just turned 3, and can't hold a pen properly at all. My hunch is that girls might be quicker at this than boys, generally speaking.

[LIZS]

Reception/year 1. dd could hold it proeprly quite early but no longer autoimatically does so at 6

[stripeymama]

Not being snippy here - genuinely want to know - what is meant by 'properly'?

I was forever being told at school that I held my pen 'wrong', yet was an early writer and have always had very neat writing. Surely if they are comfortable with the way they hold a pen and are managing to write then that is 'properly' for them?

But please tell me if I'm wrong, I know I could be.

[FrostyGlassSlipper]

Thanks everyone. I'm not in a rush to sort this but am interested to know if I need to intervene or if it comes naturally.

Good point Stripeymama. The question comes from the fact that DD1 (3.7) holds her pen at the top of it rather than at the nib end and with the palm of her hand rather than her fingers. She loves drawing and does very well but she's tying to practice letters (all by herself as I dont see that she needs to yet) and I think she would have better control if she held the pencil differently.

Oljam - hadnt thought of triangular pencils. Thanks

[BettySpaghetti]

stripeymama -by "properly" I would mean held in such a way that enabled them to manoeuvre the pencil easily enough to draw/write lines in all directions, without too much effort.

As I mentioned in my earlier post DS holds his more like a weapon which doesn't make for easy mark-making.

DD writes well yet she has an unorthodox way of holding her pencil (but it works for her so I'm happy with that)

[malfoy]

DS is just 3 & we practise on one of those "magnadoodle" (spelling?) things.

I write his name in dots & he traces over it going form dot to dot.

[DontCallMeBaby]

DD is 3.8 and does exactly the same Frosty - can hold a pen near the nib in a nice pincer grip if directed, but naturally hold it any old how and at the far end. Needless to say her control is far better the former way, and she can create quite neat shapes - I think that will do it in the end, the natural discovery that she gets better results holding a pen that way. Thing is, we still haven't figured out whether she's right- or left-handed yet, so holding the pen correctly seems a little premature! Plus I have terrible trouble showing her how to hold a pen - I don't hold pens properly either, stripey, I use my ring finger as well as my first and index finger to support the pen.

[stripeymama]

Oh fair enough, I see what you mean now. I just don't like teachers complaining about what fingers are used when I can't see that it matters!

DD is 4.7 and sort of does it, she gets no real encouragement from me (obviously to draw! But not to do it in any particular way or to write - she is at Steiner kindergarten) so she must have worked it out for herself.

[Heated]

I'm an English teacher and I don't hold my pen properly. I use just my thumb and first finger to write.

DS is 3.5yrs old and occasionally holds the pen correctly but like the pp's child, he holds it like a weapon & half way up the pencil too. I just want him to enjoy colouring and drawing, rather than make a big thing of it, & with enough practice I think it will come right, especially once he starts school.

DD who is 1.5yrs old instinctively holds the pen correctly, so maybe she'll teach her brother.