Understand Your Child
Skill Development - Pencil / Drawing Skills
What are they?
Pencil skill refers to all skills involving pencils including; scribbling, colouring, drawing and writing. All these skills require the same basic principles of ideal pencil movement (although the specifics vary according to the child’s age). Please note that specific handwriting skills are not addressed in this section.
Pencils skills, just like handwriting, are often thought of as just what the outcome likes like on the page (eg is the colouring inside the lines, does the drawing actually look like a person?). However, pencil skills in fact reflect two equally important aspects:
PRODUCT: What the outcome looks like (eg does the picture look like what was intended? Did it fit in the desired space?). In particular, mastery for ‘pre-writing shapes’ (outlined below).
PERFORMANCE: How the colouring/drawing was performed (eg how the pencil is held, how long did it take, did the child shake their hand with pain or take rest breaks while doing it?)
PRODUCT:
What are the approximate age expectations of pencil skill outcomes?
Emerging pencil interest (1-1½ years)
• Scribbling in straight lines and then later in circles
• Pressure to the paper will vary
• Limited interest in use of colour and duration of pencil activity
Developing pencil interest (2-3 years):
• Developing the concept of colouring inside lines although the pencil control is unlikely to be within the lines
• Begin in ‘write’ by making random strokes on the paper, as they recognise that marks on paper have specific meaning (although they do not understand that meaning as yet)
• Start to imitate strokes (vertical, horizontal and later circles)
At pre-school (3½ - 4 years):
• ‘Write’ by making random but more refined horizontal, vertical and circular strokes on the page.
• Can copy a vertical cross
• Begins to attempt writing the first letter of their name (so that is roughly recognizable as the letter)
• Begin to draw people (a circle with sticks for arms and legs projecting out from it)
• Develop an in internet in recognize letters on street signs that; are the same letter that starts their own name, the letter that starts their sibling or friends name
• Develops recognition of their name when written by others
• Develops recognition of number 1-5
Upon school entry (4 ½ - 6 years, state dependent):
• Able to write their own name
• Able to write most letters so the outcome is approximately correct even if the formation is not
• Able to write the numbers 1-10, and possibly to 20
• Able to draw a recognizable person with arms and legs extending out from the body, not the head
Mastery of ‘pre-writing shapes’ is the single most important product of pencil skill development. Pre-writing shapes are simple geometric strokes that when combined form meaningful shapes (for drawing) and serve as the foundations for letters and numbers. In order of sequence, these include l, --, o, +, X, □ and ∆. The importance of these is highlighted by the examples that /, \, and _ make “∆” for drawing and o + l make “a” when writing.
PERFORMANCE:
The performance of pencil skills is hugely variable according to the child’s age, interest, practice, physical development as well as the extent to which the ideal pencil grasp has been encouraged by others.
What are the approximate age expectations of pencil grasp?
Emerging pencil interest (1-1½ years)
• Not necessarily using a consistent (dominant) hand to hold the pencil
• Hold the pencil in the palm, with no web space visible between the pencil and the thumb and index fingers
• Wrist held tucked in towards the body
• Move the pencil by using the shoulder, so the arm moves as a solid unit
• Likely to press very firmly to the paper hard
Developing pencil interest (2-3 years):
• Not necessarily using a consistent (dominant) hand to hold the pencil
• Hold the pencil with 5 fingers, with fingers slightly rounded so that a web space is emerging between the pencil and the thumb and index fingers
• The wrist is held straight
• Move the pencil from the elbow, so the forearm moves a solid unit
At pre-school (3½ - 4 years):
• Almost consistently use the same (dominant) hand to hold the pencil
• Hold the pencil with 4 fingers, with fingers slightly rounded with a web space developing between the pencil and thumb and index fingers
• The wrist is held straight, but the forearm remains still
• Move the pencil from the wrist. As the wrist moves, the hands/fingers move as a unit (the fingers do not move in isolation from the wrist).
Upon school entry (4 ½ - 6 years):
• Use a consistent (dominant) hand to hold the pencil
• Hold the pencil with 3 fingers, with fingers rounded and a clear web space visible between the pencil and the thumb and index fingers
• Hold the wrist slightly extended away from the table rather than tucked in towards the table or the body
• Move the pencil with the isolated fingers, no wrist movement
Note:
• These pencil grasp expectations vary according to age, physical skill development, interest, experience, the materials used, and intervention from others. These are not hard and fast expectations.
• These loosely defined expectations are based upon the fact that our society currently expects that as children enter school they have already had pencil skill experience and thus are ready to learn how to write, rather than are just learning how to hold the pencil with control.
Why are pencil skills important?
The way children hold and move their pencil significantly influences their ability to master age appropriate pencil skills physically as well as the quality of the outcome they produce. Holding the pencil awkwardly compromises the dexterity possible and often increases the rate of fatigue, the discomfort experienced, alters the speed of performance (either too fast or too slow) and the increases the degree of frustration experienced. This can be true even if the final product is age appropriate, as the child can be working physically harder than they need to or may not be able to sustain it for as long as peers in order to complete what is required.
Building blocks necessary to develop pencil skills:
• Postural control to maintain an upright posture at the table
• Shoulder strength from which the arms can move with control
• Finger strength to allow controlled pencil movement
• Bilateral integration (using both hands at the same time, one to hold the pencil and one to stabilize the page)
• Crossing the midline (crossing the imaginary line that runs from the nose to mid-pelvis with one hand at a time)
• Hand dominance (using one hand more consistently for pencil skill performance)
• Hand division (using just the thumb, index and middle fingers for precise tasks, not the hand as a whole)
• ‘pre-writing shapes’ – as outlined above
You tell there are problems with pencil skills if the child:
• Avoids pencil/drawing tasks, or asks others to perform the skill under their verbal but not physical guidance (eg “Daddy, draw a car”, or “No I can’t do it Mummy. You do it”)
• Is unable to participate as long as peers or tires quickly
• Is quick to frustrate or gives up quickly
• Drawings/colouring are immature, messy or difficult to interpret
• Looks awkward in the way they are holding the pencil
• Becomes frustrated that the outcome is not what was expected or had in mind
• Difficulty planning how to draw (or copy) a picture
When pencil skills are less than ideal, you might also see difficulties with:
• Limited pencil to paper output (eg no drawings coming from kindy)
• Rushed or very slow speed of activity completion
• Avoidance of pencil skills
• Difficulty with self care skills (such as doing up buttons, shoes buckles etc)
• Limited cutting practice
• Difficulty planning and sequencing construction tasks
What can be done to improve pencil skills?
• Establishing consistent hand dominance and reducing hand swapping (mixed hand use) in hand dexterity in general, not just pencil skills
• Develop ‘pre-writing shapes’ formation before then asking children to draw (as drawing is the combination of these ‘pre-writing shapes’)
• Enhance finger strength with physical hard work for the fingers to encourage pencil control development (eg play dough, construction toys)
• to an age appropriate level
• Enhance an upright posture at the table and good strength (as the solid base) from which to support appropriate hand control
Activities that can improve pencil skills include:
• Using play dough or other strong pulling/pushing construction games to enhance finger strength
• Using stampers or stickers to begin the drawing process, so the child gets satisfaction from finishing the output rather than having to start from a blank (and sometimes scary) page
• Take it in turns to draw ‘silly’ pictures where there is no pressure to ‘get it right’ (where errors are in fact encouraged and rewarded with laughter)
• Incorporate drawing into favourite activities to make it fun! (eg when building train tracks, draw the train station on paper as part of the track)
• Threading, block building and using tongs to develop refined manipulation in readiness to hold a pencil correctly
• 2D construction activities (such a geometric shapes) to practice ‘seeing’ patterns that later emerge in letter formation, maths worksheets etc
• Make games into ‘projects’ where you start with one activity (eg drawing a dog) before extending it (eg making a dog house out of pop-stix or making dog biscuits out of play dough)
