Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Is 7 too late to correct a poor pencil grip?

It seems unlikely you can't substantially improve the pencil grip. Maybe it's like learning another language and when you learn older it becomes harder to be a natural speaker?

It's certainly very difficult to change motor memory, which is what handwriting becomes. I don't think it's so much that it can't be done as that it can't be done trivially - it may require intensive practice (which may be resisted) and supervision (which may be hard to come by).

The great thing about the grips I linked to above is that they prevent the child from wrapping the thumb - the crossover grip by having wings in the way and the jumbo is simply too big to get all the way around. Thus supervision requirements / constant corrections are reduced.

Hi, the dominance is basically about brain organization. Essentially in a small proportion of the population the hemispheres are on opposite sides. I was fortunate to assist a psychologist focused on brain hemisphere roles in the eighties; so, some of this is second nature knowledge.

I was able to find a book reference that discusses this:

http://books.google.com/books?id=vw...ting%20hook%20brain%20hemisphere&f=false

Zen~
Thank you!
I checked out that link, and found it very interesting, according to this then,
my DS6 who is very much a visual-spatial learner--- which is the Right side,
because he is a righty that writes with a hook,
instead of being left brain dominant- what one assumes with a righty-
my DS is RIGHT side brain dominant.
interesting only 3% of population is Right brain dominant.
and combined with my DS visual-spatial...

Wondering then, what exactly does that mean? As far as effect on learning or on Art? Or more importantly- on LANGUAGE? DS only real deficit is in language.
He does dislike writing though. The actual mechanics of it, his hand gets tired/sore so fast! But
DS is an amazing artist.

I didn't mean hijack this link. Just wondering if you knew anything else re Right brain dominance. I have just been recently trying to learn all I can in re to how to teach a visual-spatial learner...

I agree with this.

It's basically possible to change anything in terms of motor memory as long as you want to put in enough time and enough effort in the proper manner.

Hi cc6,
It is all kinda messy. First, you can't judge an individual case from statistics. And since we are all here because we are raising statistical anomalies (note to self... remember to tell DS that,) it is hard to make conclusions. In essence, that 3% case represents a mirroring of a typical brain organization. So, you'd reread any reference to brain hemispheres the opposite. The mainstream concept of right hemi = creative/ left hemi = logical becomes right hemi = logical, left = creative.

But who knows, it could be the case that your son has language processing in the same hemisphere as spatial processing. Makes for interesting speculation.

Oddly, I remember my parents saying I always tried to write with my left hand, but the school made me write with my right. Never thought about it until now thinking about my son's handwriting issues and this thread. So, I experimented with my arm hooked and I may write better that way. Surreal.

This is what I've heard as well. I'm a lefty that writes without a hook (not corrected- just never hooked at all). My mother found some literature and shared it with me as a teen that suggested this meant language for me was in my right hemisphere.

thanks zen!!
so following the mirror theory- does this mean DS visual spatial is also in the left as well? or does that stay in right hemi?
all very interesting! guess you are saying mirror means right is left and left is right. ok.

examples i've read don't really say that. i probably misread! i was reading picasso, and many great artists are lefty's. and that some right handed people, can paint better with their left hand.

ginaW= my mom is a lefty, writes w/o a hook also! she has never written with a hook. she had never heard this before i learned it from zen...

as far as my mom goes- she is NOT visual at all %/

Mom2277,

I don't know if this helps or not but my DS11 had pencil grip issues all through K, 1, 2, 3 and 4th grades. For whatever reason, he didn't want to change, even when his 4th grade teacher noticed and tried to correct. Eventually, on his own terms, he corrected himself because it felt better. It hasn't been an issue this year.

Katrina