Comments on: What Are Fine Motor Skills and Why Develop Them?

By: Crystal @ Serving Joyfully

Crystal @ Serving Joyfully — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:50:48 +0000

Sara, thanks! I love it when we can actually talk things out and clarify and resolve misunderstandings–online communication tends to garner a lot of them! lol I do look forward to reading the rest of the series and enjoy your blog!

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:46:27 +0000

Oh, Crystal, I hope that isn’t the impression you got from me sharing my personal experience! I definitely didn’t mean to generalize and place labels and I’m sorry if that is the way it came across. As a mom, I know all too well that no matter how many activities I set up, sometimes it just isn’t time for it, yet. This series is in no way encouraging people to push the pencil skills too early. I’m all about putting the fun in fine motor. Thanks for sharing and allowing me the chance to clarify. I look forward to having you chime in again.

By: Crystal @ Serving Joyfully

Crystal @ Serving Joyfully — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:18:48 +0000

I’m not really worried about it Just wanted to throw that out there that not all kids with poor pencil grips at 5 are from homes with neglectful parents who aren’t doing things at home to help them My kids both have excellent fine-motor skills, but still with the poor pencil grasp just because we haven’t pushed it.

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:40:52 +0000

Thanks for asking Crystal! I plan on addressing that topic during the series, so I encourage you to subscribe if you aren’t a subscriber already. As far as your 3 year old, I wouldn’t worry too much yet. It is still early for him. I would focus a lot on pincer grasp activities. I would also use large crayons/pencils that are easier for little hands to hold. For your 5 year old, I would use a pencil grip that has the grooves for his fingers and encourages correct grip. I also would do hand-over-hand (you physically placing your hand over theirs to guide them.) That’s a quick answer, but I hope that helps. Stay tuned for the rest of the series!

By: Crystal @ Serving Joyfully

Crystal @ Serving Joyfully — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:20:05 +0000

This is such a confusing issue for me. Both of my sons 3 and 5, have the problems you describe w/ the incorrect pencil grasp. But, we’ve done tons of fine-motor exercises and they excel in all that stuff, but just still don’t hold their pencils correctly. Now that we’ve started officially w/ school, my oldest is getting much better, since he’s been coloring and writing on worksheets more, but this is a puzzling topic for me.