01/06/2026
Therapy Tip Tuesday: Handwriting Grasp ✋✏️
Milestone charts are helpful guides—but remember, every individual develops at their own pace. Progress, comfort, and function matter more than perfection.
Ways to Encourage a Healthy Pencil Grasp:
🖍️ Use short crayons or golf pencils to naturally support finger placement
💪 Build hand strength with playdough, clothespins, or tearing paper
🪟 Try vertical surfaces (easels, windows, walls) to promote wrist stability and endurance
🎨 Keep writing activities meaningful, motivating, and pressure-free
Typical Grasp Development Timeline:
• Palmer Grasp: 12–18 months
• Digital Pronated Grasp: 2–3 years
• Four-Finger Grasp: 3–4 years
• Static Three - Four Finger Grasp 3-4 years old hand, wrist, arm move as a unit
• Dynamic Three Finger Grasp 4-7 years old fingers move independently from the wrist and arm
Remember—some children, teens, and young adults may use alternative grasps that still allow them to write efficiently and comfortably. Function always comes first.
If you have questions about handwriting, fine motor skills, or developmental milestones, the therapists at Stepping Stones Pediatric Therapy, Inc. are here to support growth, independence, and confidence at every stage.
📞 (603) 854-8157
📧 steppingstonesptnh@gmail.com