Authored by Alexandra Kautz MS, OTR/L
Have you ever cringed at the site of another broken crayon or pencil?! Little did you know, OT’s a big fans of broken crayons and we want to share why you should be too!
Using shorter, golf-sized writing and coloring utensils (e.g., broken crayons) can be really helpful for little hands that are learning to write as these tools are more in proportion to the smaller sized hands of children in kindergarten and first grade. Longer, heavier, and/or thicker writing utensils can be cumbersome for smaller hands to manage and, ultimately, may impact fine motor control. Children need tools that help support fine motor control and precision so they can write their daily paper with good letter sizing and line placement and stay within the lines during coloring activities.
Oftentimes, when there is a mismatch between a writing/coloring utensil, and a child’s hand size and their fine motor skills, the child will attempt to compensate by utilizing a “creative” grip or grasp pattern. More specifically, when using longer pencils, children tend to spread their fingers out along the length of the pencil. However, when we provide them with a shorter tool that limits the space they have, children naturally prioritize their thumb, index, and middle fingers because the limited space does not allow use of all fingers.
Additionally, while children require direct and explicit instruction for how to correctly hold and grip a pencil/crayon, using shorter tools that naturally promote a tripod grasp will make this instruction and practice easier on everyone involved.
We would love to hear from you if you try to incorporate smaller utensils at home.
