This is a question that is frequently asked during workshops and training events. In the Write Dance approach this thorny issue of how to teach the tripod grip for comfortable and efficient handwriting is not as tricky as you might imagine.
Firstly, observe closely and note down the type of grip the child is using. The most common is the hammer grip (whole fist/hand). This grip is overly tense and restricts a child’s dexterity, flexibility, fluency and speed as they try to form and join letters.
To make a change, remove the long, thin writing implements and replace these with very short, stubby mark-making tools. Possibilities include; stubby crayons (snap long crayons in half), stubby playground chalks, small sponge pads, small lumps of dried out clay that has been reconstituted in water. The clay leaves fantastic trails on table-tops, which then can be transferred to paper by making mono-prints.
Now observe again and watch to see how children adapt and use all their fingers to grip onto these tools so they can make marks. After repeated practise and plenty of time to consolidate this physical experience that strengthens fingers and develops dexterity, gradually reintroduce thinner and longer pens and pencils. Observe the children as they make the small and subtle shift from using all their fingers to the more efficient and comfortable tripod grip.
