I have two students who use a pencil grip on their pencil so they can correct their grip. However, when they color, they go right back to using the incorrect grip because I can't put a pencil grip on every crayon. I'm afraid that they will never break their habit if always color the "wrong" way. What do you do when students resort back to using the wrong grip when only coloring? Also, when one of these students colors, they push down so hard when coloring that their hand hurts and it takes them forever to finish certain activities. I can't get him to ease up on pushing down with his crayons. I know some of you may think that I am making a big deal out coloring, but I think that coloring is a skill that you should learn in kindergarten.
Maybe you could demonstrate how to hold the crayons and how to color with them without pushing down so hard.
I've made it for 30+ years with an incorrect pencil grip. My grandfather held his pencil the same "wrong" way and lived, and wrote, for 80 years. It'll correct itself or they will adapt. It really may be more natural for them to do it that way. (For what it's worth, I hold my chopsticks "wrong," too.)
Some grips are no problem and do correct themseles, but there are some others that just have to be addressed. For instance, I have a child this year who has his thumb completely tucked with the pen/pencil/marker extending through between the ring finger and his pinkie. He was not uncomfortable with it, but as the teacher who knows how much writing will be expeced of him as he progresses throughout the grades, I just believe that this will become not only inefficient, but uncomfortable, as well. One thing that our OT has suggested to me is to have the child to hold something small - like a counter or a marker cap - in the palm while coloring, writing etc. Having to hold the item while also holding the writing tool builds the muscles and forces the child to hold the tool in a better position. This is what I resort to when my kids who need a grip have to use a tool that does not fit in the grip. Just my two cents...
I'm 16 & I don't have "correct" pencil grip. However my writing is fairly neat. Plus I prefer my own way over the "correct" way.
I too don't grip my pencil correctly. When I try and do it the "correct" way, it really hurts my hand and makes it hard for me to write. I never had a teacher correct how I hold my pencils and I've been doing just fine I agree though that if it is a very strange way and the student seems to be struggling it needs to be addressed.
