Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Seriously Hard to Break

Every first grade teacher probably knows that bad handwriting habits are seriously hard to break, especially when it comes to how pencils are held.  In the past I've always started the year with some kind of pencil gripper and am later left with the question, "Did it really work?"  Hmm, well, not exactly.  So far this year I haven't pulled them out.  I tried this idea from Pinterest one day though.  No offense to the person who invented it, but it didn't really work for me.
The child holds a tissue that's supposed to help them grip the pencil correctly.
I found something that else that seems easier to incorporate.  Check these out.  

Option 1



 Option 2



My district is moving towards a Handwriting Without Tears approach, which is where the above pictures came from. I didn't make it to the training and haven't fully bought in yet, but this is one of the things that I'm giving a whirl.  So far I've been trying Option 1.  Is it possible that after a good 100 times of hearing it, my writers might actually hold their pencils the right way?  Habits are hard to break, but it's worth a shot. Click here for copies of both options.

(When it all comes down to it though, the way they write their letters is more important than how they hold a pencil.  If you'd like to know about the purple and green handwriting strategy that works for me, go here.)




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11 comments:

  1. Ahhggg! Pencil grips are so hard to change! I have heard of all three of these. And surprisingly, the one from Pinterest is the one that worked the best for me this year! But I agree, the actual writing of the letters matters more.
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

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    1. Lori, I'd never heard of the second two until this year. Interesting that the one that didn't work for me, worked for you. :)

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  2. Boo! Did I scare you? You've been BOO-ed! Come on over and join in the fun!

    Erin
    First with Franklin

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  3. Pencil grips..You are brave to bring that up! I have them sneak up on their pencils and grab them around the neck...That seems to work pretty well! I had a student go through a pretty intense Handwriting Without Tears last year and he made some amazing improvements. I'd like to go through the training to see what I could incorporate!
    Jenny
    Owl Things First!

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    1. By the way, when we sneak up behind them we are being dinosaurs...That just doesn't sound right does it?!

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    2. Jennifer, I suppose dinosaurs can be sneaky at times. :) Thanks for commenting!

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  4. Pencil grips drive me CRAZY! I have one little sweetheart who holds the pencil correctly, but guides the lead with his other hand!?!
    ❀Barbara❀
    Grade ONEderful
    Ruby Slippers Blog Designs

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    1. Barbara, now that's an odd way to write. I'm thinkin' the other hand gets in the way a bit? :)

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  5. I love these pencil tips! I just Boo'd you! Visit my blog to join the linky party! :) You can choose a free item from my TpT store too...just send me an email! Love your cute blog!!

    Rachel
    A-B-Seymour

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    1. Thanks so much Rachel for the Boo! That's very sweet of you. :)

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