One way to address the smaller shaft on a pen and the need for hand strength (which many of our kids lack), is using a triangle pencil grip on the pen, so that the child has placement for their fingers and a built up shaft for their fingers to grip.īenefit of a triangle pencil grip with the block portion that prevents the fingertips from moving too far up or down the writing utensil. Having a pen grip is ideal to help in these situations. The intrinsic hand strength that allows for developed arches is required so the child can write for an extended amount of time without hand fatigue. The issue with using a pen to write is many times, the shaft of the pen is thinner, requiring more precision of grasp and more developed arches in the hand. Keep trying to write without “ghost letters” left behind. When they turn the page, if they can read their writing on the next paper, you can teach the child that they are pressing too hard. The child can use the pen to write on a notebook with paper underneath. Other kids who write very dark can benefit from using a pen to practice ghost writing. When writing with the pen, they can use their normal grasp and clearly see the written work because the pen slides more smoothly across the writing surface and they don’t need to accommodate for the resistance of the paper. Using a pen that writes smoothly across the page can help with kids that write too lightly. Using a pen to write is one way to help the child get around these sensory issues. Or, they might not notice that they care holding the writing utensil with a very loose grasp. Check out these proprioception sensory activities to help with this sensory input. Their ability to register proprioceptive input may be off. The sensory concerns might be that the child can’t tell how hard they are pressing on the utensil and so press very hard. One strategy to help with writing pressure that is too dark or too light is to use a pen. The child typically can’t regulate the amount of pressure that they need to use to press and hold the writing utensil. Pen Gripĭid you know that sometimes using a pen can help with handwriting? When a child presses so hard with their pencil, or writes so lightly that it’s hard to read their writing, there could be a sensory component. Related read- Here are 5 things therapists want parents to know about pencil grasp. Today’s tip has more to do with the sensory benefits of writing with a pen to address heavy or light writing pressure. Using that force to move the gripper helps them to visibly see the pressure and supports integration of force modulation during functional tasks. There are many tips and tricks for addressing handwriting and writing pressure there.įor example, things like hand gripper exercises can show kids how much pressure is used to move a gripper to the full range of motion. We have a previous resource on pencil pressure when writing. Writing pressure is a hot topic in handwriting legibility. You might have a child that writes so lightly that it is hard to read their writing or their written work is brushed away by their sleeve. You may have seen children who press so hard on the paper that the pencil tip breaks or smudges and mistakes don’t fully erase. Today, I wanted to share a tip for addressing handwriting pressure…using a pen grip! Pencil pressure when writing is something that comes up a lot.
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