I bought both The Pencil Grip and The Pencil Grip Crossover for my daughter. She actually holds her pencil correctly, but her grip is so tight that she hurts her finger. These grips open up her hand. They are fatter and cushier than other pencils grips I've seen. My daughter says they make it more comfortable for her to hold her pencil.
The difference between The Pencil Grip and The Pencil Grip Crossover is that The Pencil Grip Crossover has wings, which help prevent students from wrapping their thumb around the pencil.
The grips are easy to slip on the pencils and use. The only problem I had with it were the instructions, which had an illustration of the standard Pencil Grip. They instruct us to place the large end facing down, but it's hard to tell which is the large end, the bulbous end or the end with the wings? I had to go online to see how to use The Pencil Grip Crossover.
Basically, place the pencil in a vertical position with the eraser resting on the desk. Slide The Pencil Grip on with the stamped words "The Pencil Grip" facing down. If the child is right-handed, his thumb goes on the "R" and his index finger on the "L." Vice versa for left-handed children.
It's not easy adjusting children's pencil grasp. They like to hold it the way it works for them. This pencil grip helps adjust hand position without the constant need for verbal correction and the kids seem to like it. Even my son is using it, and I never asked him to. The Pencil Grip Crossover Grip Ergonomic Writing Aid, Metallic Colors, 6 per Polybag
We LOVE these pencil grips. One of our children has trouble remembering how to hold his pencil. These are the best grips we've found. He likes how comfortable they are. The grips really help him hold his pencil correctly.
We first used these when our daughter's preschool teacher gave her one to help correct her grip. She has had issues with griping pencils with her entire fist which makes her handwriting messy and tiring. These help so much! They also seem to work as a 'trainer', meaning she will use one while writing for several minutes then take it off and continue to hold the pencil correctly. The first one we had didn't last long when the dogs got at it. They are soft and colorful which seems to make them yummy looking to pets. After the first one was chewed up we went to the store to try and replace it only to find every other type of grip except this one. We bought several others which didn't help at all before buying these here. The only other sites we could find them on were school supply shops that only sold packs of a dozen or more, charged more than amazon (on a price-per-each comparison), and wanted nearly the same cost as the grips in shipping. I was so happy to find these here with free shipping. Having these grips has allowed me, as a now homeschooling parent, to use less expensive pencils rather than continue to purchase the triangular shaped pencils we were buying at $3 per 8-pack. At first I was disappointed that they weren't sold individually but now I like having all six; there are more if one gets lost, more for siblings to use, a variety of colors, and enough to put on several sharpened pencils to have on hand to avoid removing the grip to sharpen the pencil in the middle of a lesson.
The description mentions that this gripper works for lefties and righties, and it does. However, it is important to put it on the right way. If you put it on upside down, it doesn't create the correct grip. Be sure to show your kids how it should be placed because most kids with grip problems wouldn't know it was putting their fingers in the "wrong" place. We keep some at home, some at Grandmas and some in kids' backpacks. They are easily transferable, and can be used on crayons or narrow markers for extra practice with appropriate grip. Way nicer than those triangles we had when we were kids!
Pros: Very good for proper finger placement. My children have a hard time holding the pencil correctly. That was one thing I found out when I started homeschooling them was that they didn't know how to hold it right. When they were in public I focused on helping with homework, not holding a pencil. But I digress... This is great for proper placement & doesn't slide around on the pencil. Once it's on, it's not going anywhere very easily.
Cons: It's very hard to get off the pencil. The material itself is flexible and doesn't slide on the pencil but that makes it difficult when you need to move it to sharpen the pencil.
The material isn't indestructible. There are a few tears on the back of a few from getting it on & off the pencil for sharpening.
It makes your fingers sweaty after writing for a few minutes. After one math lesson, fingers have to be wiped.
Overall this is great for finger placement - which really that's what they're for - but the material itself leaves a bit to be desired.
My daughter is in 2nd grade and holds her pencil very awkward and also has horrible handwriting. We have been battling this problem since kindergarten and nothing has worked, except for these. They are making a huge difference and even when she doesn't have one on her pencil she is much more aware of her grip and how she is supposed to hold the pencil. The only problem is all the other kids at school think they are cool and they keep getting stolen.
If you are working with a child who has established the habit of an improper pencil position, then these work well to start with. Those just beginning to write may not need the crossover (which holds their fingers in place) as they would not have established a habit of incorrect position. So they can go right to The Pencil Grip Ergonomic Writing Aid, Assorted Colors, 6 Count Polybag (TPG-11106) When the habit has been long established, these are wonderful aides. But children are happy when they graduate out of these and into ones without the crossovers. - Ot - Handwriting - Molded - Left-handed'
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