Way Cool Gadget for Beginning ‘Writers’
September 10, 2008
My darling Buttercup is taking to this whole reading & writing thing like a duck to water. She learned how to write her name and a few other basic words last year. Over the summer, she decided it was time to learn to read (thanks WordGirl!) and started teaching herself. So kindergarten has been a joy for her, as they have “Literacy” class every day and there is a lot of reading and writing for a thirsty young mind.
Wouldn’t it have been great then if we could’ve convinced her not to grip her pen/pencil/crayon like it was a drumstick? Her writing might’ve been a little less cavegirl-esque early on! Granted, she would’ve still occasionally written stuff “mirror-backwards” (she gets that from me, unfortunately) but it would’ve been mostly legible!
Over the weekend, GeekDaddy tried to start helping Buttercup with some “handwriting homework” – mostly writing her name in proper Title Case along with those lower-case letters. He tried to get her to hold her pencil correctly only to have a melt-down battle. I tried next and got her to hold it somewhat like one is supposed to, but couldn’t convince her that it would be easier if the eraser pointed toward her rather than away.
We got through the homework, but GeekDaddy and I decided we’d need to talk to her teacher – Mrs. J – and let her know that we needed to work on this both at home and at school.
Imagine my surprise then when Buttercup was writing a letter to a family member of ours this afternoon after school and holding the pencil correctly!
I was stunned.
The difference was night and day – really. Here I was thinking “wow! I must’ve really made an impression! I can’t believe how far she’s gotten in just 2 days!”
Then GeekDaddy came home and put one of these in my hand. It’s called a Stetro pencil grip. I’ve never heard of such a thing. I couldn’t even figure out what it did at first. Then he told me that Mrs. J had given him ‘a couple extra to take home.’
It seems this morning, just as Buttercup sat down to work in her notebook, GeekDaddy was in the midst of talking to Mrs. J about the handwriting thing and before he could get to it she said “Oh! I have something for Buttercup!” and got one of these out and put it on her pencil. There’s a little arrow that goes right between the finger and thumb and points downward to the paper. After that? the fingers just fall into place. Within moments, Buttercup was writing with a properly positioned pencil as if she’d been doing it that way all of her life.
And as soon as GeekDaddy put one of the ones on her pens at home? The same thing. So basically? It wasn’t 2 days and a wonder-Mom. It was a few hours and a gadget. Having tried it myself, I can say that I think it would work for just about anyone – even doctors with lousy handwriting!
Buttercup's Hand
Dang. I wish I had invented this.
As it is? GeekDaddy and I have discovered that you can buy them in bulk. So we’re going to be buying a couple of dozen to donate to the pre-school where Buttercup went last year. And a couple dozen more to give to any parents of pre-schoolers/kindergartners we know. Because seriously – even without it this afternoon – she was holding the pencil correctly. Makes me wish we’d had it when I was 5.
(This is a completely unsolicited and uncompensated review/endorsement of this product. All opinions expressed are those of the author of this blog.)
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5 Responses to “Way Cool Gadget for Beginning ‘Writers’”
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That is really nifty! I wish I had a handful of those when my Lucas was in kindy, he had a hard time with the pencil holding thing at first and it really frustrated him.
Don’t over-use it because she can become dependent on it and it’ll make it that much harder to get her to hold a pen/cil properly on her own.
We have these. In fact, one is sitting on my desk right now. (This should not surprise you.) My JBug, at 14, writes wrong and causes a callus on her fingers. We have tried to change it with the pencil grips, to no avail. Glad you are starting Buttercup early, it will make it SO much easier.
T.
ingenious little thing, i wish i still had one!
Good to hear it’s working and helping her hold pencils correctly
I had something kind of like that when I was a kid in school! It helped me out quite a bit, although I still hold the pen too tight and a little too close to the tip!!