motor control | But I Smile Anyway...

Yes, I’m back on my educational soapbox!

You know I’m back to work when issues regarding school children start inspiring my posts!

Today, my gripe is grip.

Yup, I’m talking about pencil grip.

I am horrified at the stages my children in nursery are at for many things… And I believe it is due to the way we live today, but the pencil grip, or lack of is worrying. I know we all talk about computers, consoles, tv and tablets nowadays lessening children’s physical exercise. This, to a huge extent, is responsible for a lot of overweight amd lazy children who hate to go outside.

That was a huge reason why I sided with my colleagues on not getting more technology in the nursery. After all, these children in with us for a mere 3 hours a day, and when at home, most of them are pretty adept at using their parents phones and tablets etc. In fact the one PC we do have is also considered old. It’s not touchscreen and has a, shock horror, mouse! The amount of times I have seen kids trying to touch the monitor screen to do things and getting frustrated is countless. Mouse control is erratic in most of them, but they do try.

But this brings me back to my main gripe of the day. Pencil grip and control. Fine motor skills. The vast majority of the children I am encountering, at the age of 3-4, have no idea really, how to hold a pencil, using the fist, or cylindrical grasp, as shown in the diagram at the bottom of the post. Some are at the Digital grasp level, and very few are using the tripod, conventional grip.

Why are some kids so behind in their development of pencil grip?

Because so many young children don’t ever use pens, pencils and paper at home. When I was growing up, I loved to colour in and ‘write’. I was given ample resources to fuel my hunger for mark making. (This may have actually fuelled my stationery fetish, but that’s another story!)

As my own children went through their developmental early years, drawing materials were key in my resources at home. My son, being labelled a typical boy, had really awful fine motor control. His mark making and writing was awful, until he was around 8, but I always provided opportunities to him, to practice, but in fun ways. My daughter has always loved to ‘write’ and colour in.

One of the things I would do is always keep, in my kiddy change bag, a set of colouring pencils or pens, and paper, so if we were out, and the kids needed occupying, these are the things I would whip out to shush them. It was amazing how many new ‘friends’ they would amass, due to simple pens and paper.

As I looked around, I recall seeing that other youngsters, in the same place all had phones or portable consoles to keep them quiet. Not toys, or anything simple. This was one thing I was adamant I would not allow with my own children until they were much older.

Now, in my job, I am seeing the impact of this electronic babysitting. Children who have no idea how to hold pencils or pens, let alone use them with any modicum of control. Surely it is cheaper, and easier, to buy a pack of pencils and a colouring book, than have a tablet? The skills a child learns through experimenting are essential to their fine motor control.

Instead some parents fear the ‘mess’, the chance a child may draw on furniture or walls, while in possession of a pen. Or it is just far too much effort. In my limited experience, these are the children who end finding pens, and not really knowing what they are, do draw on walls, as they have no clue what to do!

Around 4-5 out of 40 3-4 year olds in our environment are able to attempt to write their name, some can write the initial letter, many are unable to copy, or trace. Some just scribble, with no form whatsoever.

Developmental milestones are not being reached in this electronic age. Sure, they can play games, and virtually colour in via these colouring apps, but there is no concept of using your fingers in reality to hold a pencil, at all.

We try so hard to give the children opportunities to write, colour and mark make, but in the short time they are with us, many choose not to do this, so where are we supposed to help them catch up, and become adept at controlling writing implements?

Much as I love technology, and developments, I despair that certain important physical skills are literally dying out.