Video: Tripod grasp quick trick
Make sure your child holds their pencil correctly every time they pick it up with this quick trick, as outlined in our video by National Handwriting Association Occupational Paediatric Therapist Catherine Elsey.
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How to get a good pencil grasp every time
The dynamic tripod grip is the ideal hand position for comfortable, fluid handwriting. Help your child establish it with this quick trick, which will help them position their fingers correctly every time they pick up a pencil.
- Place the pencil on the work surface in front of your child, with the point towards them.
- Tell your child to pinch the pencil between thumb and first finger, in the place where the point joins the shaft.
- Your child then needs to lift their hand and, with the other hand, flip the blunt/eraser end of the pencil upwards and toward their body so that the shaft rests on the middle finger, behind.
This helps create the perfect pencil grasp, where the tips of the thumb and first two fingers can move freely, the ring and little finger are tucked away, and the thumb and fore finger form a nice, round, open space (called the 'web').
