Pencil Grasp Milestones and Strategies

Do you ever watch your child scribble away or write their name and wonder if their grasp on the crayon is appropriate for their age? This blog will walk you through the stages of pencil grasp development with pictures of each stage and strategies to encourage a functional and age-appropriate grasp!

Pencil Grasp By Stages

Palmar Supinate Grasp (Fisted Grasp) 12-24 MO

Typically seen around 12-24 months of age, as the child begins to explore scribbling with crayons and markers. The drawing utensil is held in a fisted grasp with the thumb facing up towards the top of the crayon/marker and pinky facing the table.

Digital Pronate Grasp 2-3 Years Old

At this stage, the child continues to use all fingers to hold the utensil but now the fingers are pointed down towards the end of the utensil. Often, the pencil is held closer to the ends of the fingers rather than in the palm. Usually the index finger is extended fully and pointing down towards the paper.

Static Tripod or Quadrupod 3-4 Years Old

During this stage, the grasp begins to resemble an adult grasp on the drawing utensil. The child begins to use their fingerpads (ends of their fingers) to hold the pencil rather than their fist. However, during this stage the child will still be using forearm and wrist movements rather than solely finger movements to draw or write. The forearm may not be resting on the table. The fingers are mostly static (not moving) and the 4th and 5th fingers are not tucked neatly away into the palm.

Dynamic Tripod or Quadrupod 5-6 Years Old

This is the final stage in the development of pencil grasps. At this stage, there is little to no wrist movements and the forearm is resting on the table. The pencil rests in the fingerpads and if the child uses a tripod grasp, the 4th and 5th fingers are tucked away.

Tripod vs. Quadrupod

Both tripod and quadrupod grasps are considered functional, although the tripod grasp is much more common to see overall. Often child will start with a static quadrupod and eventally transition to a dynamic tripod. But if they maintain the quadrupod grasp and develop the dynamic finger movements in that position that is okay and functional as well!

In the tripod grasp, the pencil rests on the middle finger and the 4th and 5th fingers are tucked away. In the quadrupod grasp, the pencil rests on the 4th finger and only the 5th finger is tucked away.

Non-Functional Grasps to Look Out for

Inter-finger Grasp

This grasp occurs when the pencil rests between fingers rather than in the web space between the thumb and index finger.

Thumb Wrap or Thumb Tuck

If your child rests their thumb on top of the other fingers holding the pencil, or tucks it under the fingers.

Why Does a Grasp Need to be Functional?

A nonfunctional grasp can decrease endurance during longer writing tasks, cause pain and discomfort, and limit the dynamic movements of the fingers which can impact handwriting legibility.

Why Does My Child Use a Nonfunctional Grasp?

A nonfunctional grasp can result from a variety of factors including:

• Weakness in the upper body muscles (shoulder, arm, or hand)

• Low muscle tone

• Difficulties with sensory processing (ex. body awareness, moderation of force/pressure, etc.)

• Difficulties with manual dexterity skills and fine motor coordination

Strategies to Improve Pencil Grasp

Due to the wide variety of causes for a nonfunctional pencil grasp, it is best to consult with an occupational therapist for strategies that will address the root cause. However below are a few general strategies that can be helpful:

• Use mini golf pencils and broken crayons- the smaller the better! Smaller items leave less room for the child to hold it and as a result, encourages use of just a few fingers and the fingerpads

• Hold a small eraser or pom pom in the 4th and 5th fingers to work on tucking away those fingers and only using the thumb, index, and middle fingers to hold the pencil

• Wrap a thin piece of painter's tape around the pencil where the fingers should be holding it, this will serve as a visual reminder of where the fingers should be