School Based Occupational Therapy

response to intervention for performance challenges

Performance Area:
OT Proper Pencil Grasp
RTI
general information:
 A student may present with a pencil grip that is considered ineffective for a variety of reasons:
 He/she may have an atypical grasp due to an unstable torso and shoulder girdle, as well as poor
coordination in the hand muscles. This will interfere with precise grasping of a writing tool.
 He/she may have an immature grasp; the grasp may be normal for a child much younger than
student’s chronological age. This will also compromise his/her ability to complete age appropriate
written assignments.
 An inefficient, atypical, or delayed pencil grasp can lead to poorly formed letters/digits, difficulty
using proper pressure, and at times discomfort.
 Some students use pencil grasps that appear unusual, but may be functional. In other words, despite
using unusual pencil grip style, his/her written work is produced with speed and accuracy that is
consistent with class mates. Such grasping patterns are very difficult to modify and as such
intervention is often not warranted.

recommended strategies during writing instruction:

 Confirm that the student does not have corrective lenses via contact with the parent or school
nurse. A vision screening may be indicated.
 Teach the student the correct way to hold a pencil using a tripod grasp:
 Visual demonstrations may not be sufficient; assist the student in holding the pencil as close
to ideal as possible.
 Pinch the pencil shaft with the pad of his/her thumb and index finger; the eraser end should
point toward shoulder.
 The pencil should rest along the base of the “inside” of the middle finger.
 Ideally the area at the base of the thumb and index finger, known as the “web space”,
should be open to form a “C”.
 The last two fingers should be tucked into the student’s palm.
 Photos of correct pencil prehension can be taped to the student’s desk or posted in the classroom
for a visual reminder.
 To maintain a mature tripod (three-finger) grasp, encourage the student to occasionally use his/her
ring and little finger to hold a cotton ball or pompom within the palm.

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 Performance Area:
OT Proper Pencil Grasp
RTI
additional recommended strategies during writing instruction:
 Provide student with a 20 degree angled writing surface:
 Clip the paper onto a binder (with the highest part of the slant furthest away from the student).
 Writing on an inclined surface can minimize fatigue and improve proper gripping of a pencil/pen/
crayon.
 Ensure that the student is sitting with proper posture using the 90-90-90 rule (hips, knees, and feet
bent to a 90 degree angle).
 The student’s back should be straight and tilted slightly forward.
 Place a footrest (box or large phone book) below child’s feet if needed.
 The desk/table should be no higher than his/her elbows when seated.

 Experiment with different writing tools:

 Some younger children that are traditionally offered “chunky” pencils/crayons may perform
better with a shorter or thinner tool.
 The same may be true for older students; although they are traditionally offered tools with
thinner shafts, he/she may perform better with “chunky” pencil/crayons/markers.
 There are triangular shaped writing tools that are accepted well by some students.
 For small options, you can try small “Pip Squeak” markers, golf pencils, or crayons broken in
one-half.

additional strategies for improving the performance area:

 Provide opportunities to develop hand strength with the use of tools such as scissors, hole punch,
tweezers, tongs, construction toys/building blocks, and resistive balls to squeeze.
 Consider giving opportunities for crafts/tasks that include lacing, stringing, braiding, etc. Use clay
and play dough.
 Whenever possible allow opportunities for coloring, drawing, and painting on paper attached to the
wall or an easel.
 Also give opportunities for the student to be prone (on the belly) on the floor to complete tasks.
This develops strength in the muscles needed for writing.
 Practice finger spelling and touching he thumb to each finger in a sequence.
 If this is too difficult, practice the “thumb up” position.
 The student’s thumb is up while all other fingers are tucked into his/her palm

 These movements develop control of individual fingers

Copyright ©2014-2015 Tools to Grow®, Inc. All rights reserved.

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