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KEY WORDS
* child
* hand strength
* handwriting
OBJECTIVE. Pencil grasps other than the dynamic tripod may be functional for handwriting. This study examined the impact of grasp on handwriting speed and legibility.
METHOD. We videotaped 120 typically developing fourth-grade students while they performed a writing task. We categorized the grasps they used and evaluated their writing for speed and legibility using a handwriting assessment. Using linear regression analysis, we examined the relationship between grasp and handwriting.
RESULTS. We documented six categories of pencil grasp: four mature grasp patterns, one immature grasp pattern, and one alternating grasp pattern. Multiple linear regression results revealed no significant effect for mature grasp on either legibility or speed.
CONCLUSION. Pencil grasp patterns did not influence handwriting speed or legibility in this sample of typically developing children. This finding adds to the mounting body of evidence that alternative grasps may be acceptable for fast and legible handwriting.
Handwriting is an essential life skill required of children in school; however, 10%-34% of school-age children fail to master handwriting (Smits-Engelsman, Niemeijer, & van Galen, 2001). In particular, proficient handwriting is necessary for completion of academic activities such as note taking, assignments, and exams (Amundson & Schneck, 2010). Handwriting difficulties can profoundly influence children's development and negatively affect their academic performance and, in turn, may be detrimental to self-esteem, personal relationships, and the child's and others' perceptions of a child's abilities (Graham & Weintraub, 1996).
Teachers are typically responsible for providing handwriting instruction. When a teacher determines that a student is having problems producing legible writing, he or she often consults an occupational therapist (Feder, Majnemer, Bourbonnais, Blayney, & Morin, 2007). In fact, handwriting difficulties are the most common reason for referrals to occupational therapy in school-age children (Feder, Majnemer, & Synnes, 2000; Ratzon, Efraim, & Bart, 2007). Handwriting difficulty without neurological or intellectual disabilities is often termed dysgraphia and typically includes poor legibility and reduced speed of writing (Feder et al., 2007; Maeland, 1992).
Grasp Patterns
In a 2008 survey, 41% of 169 teachers identified "incorrect" pencil grasp as a common handwriting difficulty (Graham et al., 2008). Occupational therapists addressing handwriting difficulties often suggest, as a solution, adoption of the dynamic tripod grasp (Rigby & Schwellnus, 1999). Various grasp taxonomies...