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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Nursery school - holding pen properly

6 replies

racmac · 17/06/2009 13:29

Not really priamry - but DS is 3.6and attends nursery school. He loves it and has started getting really enthusiastic about writing - but he doesnt hold his pencil properly - Ive shown him the way to hold it but he always goes back to the comfy way for him.

Question is - do i keep showing him how to hold it or just leave him to it? Will he eventually "get" the right way?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

HaventSleptForAYear · 17/06/2009 13:31

At that age we were told by DS's school that he needed to practise holding a pen properly etc over the summer.

he went back in September and is now writing and drawing well.

I would leave it.

zeke · 17/06/2009 13:58

At my son's school they were taught to use 'froggy fingers'. Calling it that seemed to really click with my son. When he forgets and holds in incorrectly, all I had to say was 'froggy fingers!'. He was 4 yr 1 mth when he started that. Maybe calling it a silly name like that will help him remember?

sorky · 17/06/2009 14:02

He'll find his own way Racmac.

Having to correct something that isn't important at his age may well put him off writing altogether or dint his confidence in his abilities.

Holding it a particular way doesn't matter at all providing he is able to mark the paper the way that he wants to.

Original poster

racmac · 17/06/2009 14:24

I think i might just leave him to hol dit however he chooses - sorky you are right I dont want to put him off.

He doesnt even start full time school till Sep 2010 so no hurry!

I will remember the froggy fingers though

OP posts:

katiestar · 17/06/2009 16:02

Hope I'm not teaching granny to suck eggs here but the way to get kids to hold the pencil correctly is to lay it down with the point facing towards them.They have to make the correct grip to pick it up.Of course the hard bit is then getting them not to change the grip again.

MotherofInvention · 17/06/2009 16:10

Some children, mostly boys, don't develop a proper pincer grip until they are around 7. Putting pressure on them can really put them off. He'll develop this in his own time but you can help him along through play activities such as picking thing up with a tweezer or hanging small items of clothing on a line using clothes pegs (i.e. play-based learning, Montessori-style.

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