Efficient pencil grasp involves three fingers holding the pencil: Thumbkin, Pointer, and Middleman. I call these the Busy Fingers and they make up the tripod grasp. When Ringman and Pinky hold a Pillow (cotton ball or pom pom) and "go to sleep," the Busy Fingers are ready to play! Of course, these Sleeping Fingers  (Ringman and Pinky) are not really sleeping, they are helping to stabilize the child's hand so that the Busy Fingers can effectively hold and move a pencil, crayon, or tool.
I love to use singing to convey this simple strategy for holding a pencil correctly. Our Fingers and Pillows Song is available in English and Spanish to help teachers and parents teach proper positioning for pencil grasp. By adding in simple hand movements (sing the song and you'll see what I mean) we can teach children about Busy Fingers, Sleeping Fingers, and Pillows. This a fun way to teach students how to hold a pencil in a child-friendly way. 
Enjoy a Fun Fall...Write Out of the Box!
Marianne |
