Joe started writing--proficiently--at age 3. Letters, then whole words. Lists, lists, and more lists. (He's still a listmaker.)
Problem is, he held his pencil in his fist. Not unusual for a 3-year-old. But then he turned 4, then 5, then 6, then 7. And he still held his pencil in his fist.
His preschool teachers tried to get him to hold it correctly. Use "alligator fingers," they said.
He didn't want to.
His kindergarten teacher got him a special pencil grip to use. And when it came time for the class invention, she steered his class toward making an invention to help kids hold a pencil right.
He was interested, but he didn't change his grip.
We discussed the issue with his first grade teacher, then his second grade teacher, at parent-teacher conferences. His second grade teacher told us that, statistically, if he had not started doing it right by second grade, it would probably be very difficult to get him to change.
We knew that. The kid writes everything down, fast. And he was comfortable with his fist grip. Change was uncomfortable, and slowed him down.
And really, in the scheme of life's problems, "incorrect pencil grip" seems to be pretty far down on the list.
He holds his pencil incorrectly. So what?
Except.
Now he doesn't.
The other day when I picked him up at school he informed me that he had held his pencil correctly all day. He came home and did his homework, then addressed all of his Valentines--all the while holding it correctly. He has never looked back. He always holds it correctly now.
His teacher told me she reviewed the mechanics of pencil grip in preparation for learning cursive writing. We don't know if it was the mechanics review, the anticipation of learning cursive, or just what was in the air that day that made him change.
It has confirmed two things: (1) it is very difficult to make Joe do something that he has no interest in doing and (2) there is no stopping him when he does set his mind to do something.
Problem is, he held his pencil in his fist. Not unusual for a 3-year-old. But then he turned 4, then 5, then 6, then 7. And he still held his pencil in his fist.
His preschool teachers tried to get him to hold it correctly. Use "alligator fingers," they said.
He didn't want to.
His kindergarten teacher got him a special pencil grip to use. And when it came time for the class invention, she steered his class toward making an invention to help kids hold a pencil right.
He was interested, but he didn't change his grip.
We discussed the issue with his first grade teacher, then his second grade teacher, at parent-teacher conferences. His second grade teacher told us that, statistically, if he had not started doing it right by second grade, it would probably be very difficult to get him to change.
We knew that. The kid writes everything down, fast. And he was comfortable with his fist grip. Change was uncomfortable, and slowed him down.
And really, in the scheme of life's problems, "incorrect pencil grip" seems to be pretty far down on the list.
He holds his pencil incorrectly. So what?
Except.
Now he doesn't.
The other day when I picked him up at school he informed me that he had held his pencil correctly all day. He came home and did his homework, then addressed all of his Valentines--all the while holding it correctly. He has never looked back. He always holds it correctly now.
His teacher told me she reviewed the mechanics of pencil grip in preparation for learning cursive writing. We don't know if it was the mechanics review, the anticipation of learning cursive, or just what was in the air that day that made him change.
It has confirmed two things: (1) it is very difficult to make Joe do something that he has no interest in doing and (2) there is no stopping him when he does set his mind to do something.
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1 comment:
Amazing!!! I still hold mine incorrectly (not in a fist, but still...) and have tried to make myself change. but it always slows me down. so i understand his resistance! but it blows my mind that he legit just changed one day and never looked back!
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