Fine Motor · 5 min read
Letters Before Pencils: How Young Brains Learn to Write
Why young children learn letters best through movement, touch and play, the building blocks that come before a pencil, and the multisensory tools I use with families.
Madisi
Golf Pencils (96 Pack)
Why Erin picked it
Short pencils are one of my favorite OT tricks. There’s no room for a fisted grip, so little fingers naturally move into a tripod grasp. Pre-sharpened, with erasers.
Preschoolers learning to hold a pencil, and kids with a fisted grip.
Your child has significant hand weakness. Start with chunky crayons and putty play first.
Affiliate link: I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Prices and availability are set by Amazon. Always supervise play and follow the manufacturer's safety guidance.
Hands-on review
How I use it with kids
Short pencils are one of the simplest tricks I use in OT. When a pencil is only a few inches long, there isn't room to wrap the whole hand around it, so little fingers naturally shift toward a tripod grasp, with the thumb, index and middle finger doing the work.
I like them for kids who are just learning to hold a pencil, and for older kids who've slipped into a fisted or awkward grip. They're great for coloring, mazes and tracing too, because short practice with the right grip beats long practice with the wrong one.
These come pre-sharpened with erasers, and with 96 in a pack you can keep a few in the car, the backpack and the homework spot.
Erin Wiggins, OT · How I choose products
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