Developing Pencil Grasp

Palmar Grasp

Children will generally use this grasp to reach out to objects when they begin to be interested in colouring. This is the first stage in developing pencil skills.

Digital Grasp

A child will generally move from a palmar grasp to a digital one. This will develop as they gain more control with the crayon or pencil. Generally by the time the child is three they will be using this grasp.

Static Tripod Grip

This grip usually follows the digital grasp. Control of the crayon or pencil will improve.

Fingers appear stiff and are held close together as movement at this stage comes from the wrist. This grip has usually developed by age four.

Some children may manage with this grip but may have difficulty later in school life and often suffer discomfort and fatigue when they need to write for long periods of time.

Dynamic Tripod Grip

The picture shows one version of a dynamic grip. The grip works because the pencil is supported between the thumb and two fingers and movement comes from the fingers not the wrist.
This is a functional mature grip.

We aim for this as the hand is more relaxed allowing the child to cope better with the speed and quantity of writing that may be needed later in school life.

By the end of year one we would expect a child to be using this grip.

Reproduced with kind permission by Jill Steward, Occupational Therapist, Surestart, Stoke North.