Ideas and resources
Have you tried the writing claw? What do you think? Is this the new way to get children to hold their pencil correctly or just another do-dad for the parent to buy? My children both hold their pencils – I wont say incorrectly but different than they are meant to hold them (according to the teacher). I think as long as there is no wrist pain and the writing is correct and controlled then each child is entitled to their own style. What do you think?
I don’t know why Pinterest just suddenly decided I needed to see all the content about task cards and task boxes for kids, but these ideas are great for the classroom to keep in centers or have on hand for early finishers. You can also use them at home as quiet bags or boxes for kids to use when younger siblings might be sleeping, or in the car for a non-screen activity.
Let’s take a look at some fine motor skill task cards and how you can use them to teach kids skills while they play.
Pre-K Pages has a nice set of playdough task cards you can use in boxes or bags with a little tray (or they can just work on the table if they are sitting at a table). Working with clay or play dough is a great fine motor skill exercise, or you can add these to your playdough center if you have one to give them a little bit of direction while they work.
Teaching Mama has a bunch of great ideas for fine motor task boxes, from practicing working a glue bottle to threading beads, using clothespins or scissors, dropping water, finger painting and more. There’s a free printable that shows all the task options she talks through in the post if you want to make your own little boxes, or just keep these ideas on hand when you’re ready to add some fine motor fun to your days.
One of the ideas she mentions in that post is working with a hole punch, and Early Learning Ideas has a whole bunch (the urge to write “hole bunch” is strong) of ideas for printables that help kids practice hole punching, whether it’s a strip with circles on it for them to punch or pictures that include circles for punching, these ideas make it a little more fun to practice this important skill.
My Happy Place Teaching has a whole post about using fine motor task boxes in kindergarten, and her paid resource includes more than 100 task ideas with printables. But if you don’t need 100 boxes you can still get some good ideas from this post about different tasks to include and why and when you can use them. She also mentions using them in the morning while you’re busy with kids coming in at different times, which is a great idea.
Actually, I think that the supposed ‘correct’ way to hold a pencil may contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome, and I refuse to hold my pencil that way. In fact, I CAN’T hold it that way even long enough to sign my name, any more, without my CPS flaring up – so nope – I don’t think kids should be forced to hold their pencil any specific way.
They need to find a way to hold it, that doesn’t hurt their fingers or wrist, that still gives the writing result required. I don’t see anything wrong with teaching them the traditional hold – but if it doesn’t work for them, then we need to find a way that suits their hands better. This reminds me of the old tradition of tying a left-handed kid’s left hand behind his/her back, and forcing them to write right handed. What is natural for one isn’t necessarily natural for the next.
Definitely a doodad aimed to get parents separated from their money. I don’t hold my pencil/pen the way the device shows and I have most excellent handwriting!