Pediatric Rehabilitation Assessment and Consultation Services (PRACS) 49th Street Community Health Centre Bay A, 4755 - 49th

Street Red Deer, AB, T4N 1T6 Phone: (403) 314-5240 Fax: (403) 314-5230

O.T. Notes
Tips and Strategies from your Occupational Therapist.

Volume 4, Issue 3

November, 2011

Pencil Grasp
What is an efficient pencil grasp?
A pencil grasp is efficient when a student is able to perform functional printing, coloring and drawing tasks. If a student is reporting excessive hand fatigue, muscle or joint pain, or if you can foresee the development of such conditions, their pencil grasp may need to be modified. It is often difficult to change a students pencil grasp once habits have become ingrained. Therefore, if intervention is required, it is essential to implement it as early as possible. One of the most efficient ways to hold a pencil is with a tripod grasp. This means that the thumb and index finger are pinching the pencil (making an O), while the shaft of the pencil is resting in the thumb web space (see picture).

How to make a referral to Occupational Therapy:

Teacher to complete
referral package

Parent to complete
referral package and consent form

School coordinator/
Director of Student Services to ensure all documentation is completed and signed

Activities to encourage a tripod grasp:

Try a story such as Allie the alligator loves to chomp pencils (show students a chomping motion using your thumb and first two fingers, keep ring and pinky fingers tucked). Watch how Allie chomps my pencil (demonstrating a tripod grasp). Can you make Allie chomp your pencil? After a successful tripod grasp is observed, say this is how I would like you to hold your pencil/crayon/marker when you are printing/ coloring/ drawing. Practice drawing on the chalkboard with teeny-tiny chalk or on paper with short crayons or pencils. Broken pieces of wax crayon work great! Using short writing tools (1-2 inches long) promotes the using the tips of the fingers (alligator pinch). Try activities with tweezers and eyedroppers to build strength and endurance in the fingers. Encourage holding the tools with alligator pinchers (thumb, index, middle finger). Some activities to consider: Sort small objects such as colored beads using tweezers. Use tweezers to pick up objects for crafts that involve pasting (i.e., pasting cotton balls for snow or tissue paper for leaves). Color coffee filters with markers using a variety of colors. Use eyedroppers to drop water onto the filter and watch the colors blend together (turns out quite lovely!) Laminate alphabet cards and have students use eyedropper to drop water on a letter that you call out or the letters of their names. You may try pencil grippers, which are commercially available. There are many designs of pencil grippers, however they all have the basic function of helping the student place their fingers correctly on the pencil, as well as providing tactile input and helping to reduce finger fatigue due to excessive pencil pressure. Before deciding to use a pencil gripper, it is recommended that you consult your Occupational Therapist.

Completed referral
package to be sent to the PRACS Intake Resource Coordinator by mail or fax. *** Services are funded by Student Health Partnerships***

Did You Know?

In-services can be requested and presented at your school! Our therapy team has developed presentations on a variety of topics including:

Development of Printing Skills Sensory Processing Skills Development of Fine Motor Skills

Contact the PRACS Intake Coordinator for more information.

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