A small child tries to take a pencil in the most comfortable way, most often in a fist. However, the situation is complicated by the fact that such a habit quickly takes root, so the type of holding writing instruments remains for life.
Naturally, children's handwriting suffers, but this is not the most important problem. If the writing accessory is positioned incorrectly, the child’s hand gets tired when working, writing speed decreases, posture may suffer, and the curvature of the spine will worsen.
There are several simple techniques that can be used to teach your child to hold a pen or pencil correctly. Moreover, it is necessary to start at a very early age, when the little one takes a rattle, spoon or chalk in his hands for the first time.
Why do errors occur?
The situation when a child incorrectly holds a pen, pencils, or markers while writing is quite common. Where does this problem come from? This habit is formed at a very early age, long before entering school.
It all can start from the period when the child becomes interested in the rattle, holding it in his hand. Then comes the turn of brushes, soft pencils, with which the baby draws scribbles on scrapbook paper.
In addition, the skill of holding writing instruments is developed by working with plasticine or a special test.
Correct pinching and sculpting is done with the right hand, using the thumb, index and middle fingers.
From the age of 4, it is necessary to observe how the child draws. Some kids hold a pencil in their fist. Others squeeze the writing instrument with excessive force.
The process of forming a grip cannot be left to chance. If a child holds markers the way he wants, then he will have to be retrained at school. The sooner the correct grip is formed, the easier the first grader will be able to adapt to school.
By the age of 6, children should already be able to use a pencil, even if it is just drawing patterns in copybooks or tracing block letters. Moreover, parents need to constantly monitor the correctness of the letter in order to prevent relearning.
Possible reasons
At school, children have to write a lot and often.
The way the student holds the pen determines his writing speed and handwriting. Many parents are faced with the problem of incorrect positioning of writing instruments in their child’s hand. Most often it is caused by undeveloped fine motor skills. Small children hold pencils, pens, and rattles with all their fingers, clenching them into a fist. Some older kids squeeze the writing instrument by sticking their fingers forward.
This situation is wrong, it often turns into a habit that is quite difficult to get rid of. Therefore, it is important to start retraining the baby in time. Incorrect pen position may be due to the fact that parents did not show how to hold the writing instrument in their hand.
What are the consequences of holding a pencil incorrectly?
As already noted, incorrect grip of a writing instrument can lead to health problems for a child. The most dangerous undesirable consequences are blurred vision and curvature of the spinal column due to improper sitting at the table.
Even if such unpleasant complications do not arise in the child, he will simply become more tired when writing, shading or drawing. And this can negatively affect school performance and psychological adaptation.
Such troubles can be prevented if incorrect hand position and incorrect grip of the writing implement are detected in time. You can recognize a future school problem by the following signs:
- the baby holds his thumb slightly lower than his index finger when working;
- the pencil is held by the index or ring finger, not the middle one;
- the felt-tip pen is taken with a pinch;
- the fingers are located either too low or too high;
- a child, when drawing a picture, rotates not the pencil, but the album sheet itself;
- the upper end of the pencil is directed not towards the shoulder, but towards the neck;
- The baby presses the paper either with excessive force or too weakly.
If you notice one or more signs of erroneous pencil gripping, you need to immediately move on to correcting the habit. Otherwise, after entering school, the child may have problems with studies.
How to hold a pen when writing?
The main nuance is the placement of the fingers. A right-handed person takes a writing object in the following way: the pen is placed on the upper part of the middle finger, and the index finger holds the writing instrument on top. The thumb is located on the left.
Left-handed people have a mirror grip: the handle is located on the upper part of the middle finger of the left hand, the index finger holds the object on top, and the thumb on the right side.
You can check the correct grip by raising your index finger. Did the writing instrument remain in place and not even move? This means the child is holding the pen correctly.
There are no special requirements for the remaining fingers. The ring and little fingers can be positioned in any way convenient for the little scribe. Usually they are pressed against the palm.
In order for the child to finally understand how to hold a pencil correctly when writing and drawing, experts recommend reminding the child of the following rules:
- the writing object is placed exactly on the pad of the terminal section of the middle finger;
- all three fingers that are involved in holding the object seem to be rounded;
- the other two fingers are bent and pressed against the palm;
- the entire hand is completely relaxed;
- ideal position - fingers are located above one and a half centimeters from the tip of a pen or pencil;
- In the process of writing letters or drawing, the little finger may touch the surface of the table.
Regular repetition of these rules will allow you to establish the correct grip of writing instruments by the senior preschool age, which will allow you to avoid wasting time and nerves on relearning.
The best way to write: choosing writing instruments for a child
Writing materials play a significant role in teaching a child to write. The result largely depends on what the child uses to write. For a small child, it is better to choose wax crayons or felt-tip pens. Children like them because they leave bright marks on paper, and they are convenient because they do not need to be pressed hard. Experts say that in preschool age it is most useful to draw and write with pencils. Using a pencil, the child will learn to control the force of pressure on a sheet of paper. It is better to choose pencils with a triangular shape so that the child can hold them correctly in his hand. The place where the baby holds the pencil should preferably be rubberized so that the fingers do not slip when writing. Also pay attention to the materials the writing utensils are made from, as many children put them in their mouths.
If we talk about choosing a pen, then ballpoint pens with dark blue ink are better suited for children of preschool and primary school age. If the pen writes with light ink, the child will press harder on it, since the letters are difficult to see on the paper. You should not buy handles that are too long (more than 13 cm) or thick (over 7 mm).
Pencil attachment as a teaching technique
The problem of teaching writing also worries manufacturers of writing accessories. In office departments, parents can purchase special attachments that are made in the shape of little animals.
These devices have special small recesses and recesses. If the rubber attachment is put on the handle, then the child simply will not be able to grasp the writing instrument incorrectly.
On the Internet you can find many positive reviews about such an accessory as a training pen for teaching correct grip. The accessory looks like a fish with special indentations. Manufacturers and parents claim that such a simulator can even correct a child’s handwriting.
Another option for educational writing devices is pens from the Stabilо LeftRight series. These devices were developed with the participation of doctors, teachers and ergonomic specialists. The triangular handles already have special attachments with indentations that help the “scribe” to grasp the item correctly.
In addition, the writing utensils are made of light, soft material, and their coloring gives children a good mood, which is also important when deciding how to teach a child to hold a pencil correctly.
Exercises
In order for a first-grader to be able to properly use a writing instrument, classes must begin at the age of 2-5. Simple exercises combined with games will help you develop finger dexterity in the future.
You can offer your child:
- collect beads with your fingers and put them in a box;
- tie bows on laces, knots on strings;
- wipe the drawn lines with a small rubber band;
- cut out small parts from paper using safety scissors and make a mosaic out of them;
- shade pictures for coloring with a pencil;
- draw patterns, geometric shapes (triangles, squares, circles, etc.);
- collect constructor;
- fasten buttons, etc.
Some exercises can be done as a game. At this time, it is important to control the position of the baby's fingers.
Spider game
The child’s hands are funny spiders, and his fingers are their paws. They should be asked to “run” around the table. Stomp, jump. Ask your child to let the “spiders” say hello with their paws and draw something with crayons. This exercise will help relieve tension in the fingers and distract the child from routine exercises.
How to choose the perfect pen?
At an early age, it is best to begin acquaintance with writing objects with a pencil, since it is easier to grasp and hold in the correct position. Then you should move on to the handle.
In order for your child to like his future school affiliation and meet all the requirements, it is necessary to take into account several important characteristics:
- the presence of a rubber insert that will prevent slipping;
- safety of the material, since the child will definitely pull the handle into his mouth;
- triangular body shape;
- The length of the product is less than 13 centimeters, and the thickness does not exceed 8 millimeters.
The best pen for writing letters in copybooks is a ballpoint pen. Dark blue or purple ink should be preferred as they leave a distinct mark. The blue pen writes less clearly, so the first grader will begin to put pressure on the pen.
conclusions
It often happens that the child does not want to hold the pen correctly, squeezing it into a fist or holding it in other ways that are convenient for him. Such a bad habit can make any mother nervous, because this makes the baby quickly get tired of writing (or drawing, shading, painting), and not only the child’s handwriting deteriorates, but also his posture. This is why it is very important to teach your child how to hold writing objects correctly. Using the little tricks described in the article, you can make this process more effective and painless.
Correct posture at the table
In order for a child to be able to hold a pen correctly while writing, he needs to take an optimal position at the table. Since ancient times, schoolchildren have been taught to observe the principle of three right angles.
The ideal landing is when a right angle is formed by bent knees, hips and back, and bent elbows.
You should also remind your child to:
- kept his legs close;
- lowered his entire feet to the floor;
- placed his hands on his desk when writing;
- maintained a 2-centimeter gap between the table top and the body;
- placed the copybook at a 30-degree angle to the body;
- bowed his head slightly towards the table.
Positioning a child's hand to write is impossible without holding the pen correctly. To prevent the child from getting tired, it is necessary to maintain a certain distance from the tip of the rod to the index finger - 1.5 centimeters.
Learning to write using special tools
Stationery manufacturers came to the aid of parents and offered special tools that made writing much easier for the child. They are plastic, shaped attachments with holes in the shape of funny little animals.
Thanks to the presence of recesses on the handle in the necessary places, it is impossible to take it incorrectly. Products are made for both left-handers and right-handers. The simulator teaches children to hold their hands in the optimal position.
The training attachment is made from thermoplastic elastomer. It fits onto a regular standard-sized handle without an automatic mechanism. Advantages of the simulator:
- He teaches the correct placement of the phalanges of the fingers when mastering writing techniques.
- It keeps your hands relaxed, which reduces hand fatigue during long sessions.
- A parent can teach a child to write without constantly monitoring the process. There is no need to stand over it and check the correctness of the letter.
- It only takes 2 months to master the technique of working with a pen or pencil. After this period ends, the baby can continue to exercise, but without the simulator. Thanks to the development of “muscle memory”, the fingers themselves remember how to hold the pen.
You can also find triangular pencils in office supply stores. They are ideal for teaching your child to draw.
Development of fine motor skills
In order for a child to be able to write correctly at 6 or 7 years old, it is necessary to improve his fine motor skills at an early and preschool age. Such exercises will help you develop beautiful handwriting and coordinate your movements.
To prepare for writing , you can do exercises such as:
- finger gymnastics;
- rolling beads between fingers;
- stringing beads or large beads on a thread;
- cutting out patterns from paper with safety scissors;
- tying and untying knots;
- sewing on buttons;
- drawing;
- performing various hatchings;
- completing patterns;
- modeling from plastic mass;
- lacing;
- fun with a constructor;
- fun with a bubble ball, etc.
With the help of the above rules and recommendations, the parent will be able to develop fine motor skills of the fingers and easily teach the child the correct position of the fingers when doing written work.
Thus, the question of how to teach a child to hold a pencil or pen sooner or later arises before every parent. However, this problem can be solved quite simply, but only if you show patience and take into account the characteristics of the baby.
How to prepare your child for written assignments
At school, children are faced with tasks every day that require written solutions. To be prepared for this, you need to start preparing your hand for writing in preschool age. Games and exercises for developing fine motor skills are perfect for this, for example:
- Stringing beads, lacing, untying knots;
- Working with scissors;
- Modeling and applique;
- Games with cereals;
- Finger gymnastics;
- Hatching, outlining, coloring, etc.
In children's classes, much attention is paid to the development of children's fine motor skills. In addition, in school preparation groups, children are taught to work in notebooks and write block letters. All exercises for teaching writing are presented in a playful way, so children do them with pleasure.
It is better to start systematic classes to introduce a child to literacy at the age of 4-5 years. Be prepared for the fact that not every child finds learning to write easy. In order to master this skill, you need not only good development of hand motor skills, but also a sufficient level of development of thinking, memory and attention.
In addition to preparing the hand for writing and developing the correct grip, it is necessary to teach the child how to sit at the table. The child must remember that:
- Feet should be on the floor;
- The back should be straight;
- Elbows should be kept on the table;
- There should be a small distance between the body and the table (2 cm);
- A sheet of paper or notebook should be placed at an angle of 30 degrees relative to the body.
