Sparkles and Kisses

This is a very interesting article by  Marianne Gibbs, EdD, OTR/L which i found on http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com/#

 

Have you ever found yourself saying, “Hold it right” to a young child who is trying to hold a pencil? If you have, you know these words alone simply do not work. Acquisition of an efficient pencil grasp is a process of pattern development. An 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! The Busy Fingers can effectively hold and move a pencil, crayon, or tool while the Sleeping Fingers help to stabilize and support the child's hand and grasp.

 

I love to use singing to convey this simple strategy for holding a pencil correctly. Check out my “Fingers and Pillows” song, which 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 is a fun way to teach students how to hold a pencil efficiently in a child-friendly way!

Follow these links to receive a FREE Pdf version of my piggy-back song lyrics:

English Version of "Fingers and Pillows" Song Lyrics

http://www.writeoutofthebox.com/images/pagefiles/file/PDF/Fingers%20and%20Pillows%20Song.pdf?phpMyAdmin=a09b3ddcd27cd8f189e1f33a49aa090c
Spanish Version of "Fingers and Pillows" Song Lyrics

Marianne Gibbs, EdD, OTR/L

Write Out of the Box