So let's start at the beginning. Again these are average ages, every child is different. However if you do suspect your child is behind in their development, please talk to your pediatrician.
- By age 3.9 months your baby should be able to grasp a rattle or other objects.
- By age 5.2 months they reach for objects with their whole arm.
- By age 10.2 months, they should be able to use a thumb-finger grasp (palmar grasp).
- by age 12-15 months they use a palmar supinate grasp. They use their whole arm to color and move the marker/crayon to where they want it on the paper. You will also notice that the writing utensil is at a complete vertical angle.
- By 2-3 years old, they move to a digital pronate grasp, which looks like the picture below.
- By age 3 to 4 they will switch to a static tripod grasp or quadrupod grasp. They hold the writing utensils crudely and use the whole pads of their fingers on the writing utensil.
Quadrupod Grasp
Tripod Grasp
- By the time your child hits kindergarten they will use the most mature grasp, the dynamic tripod/quadrupod grasp, when they use the tips of their fingers on the writing utensil and also hold the crayon/pencil more at an angle than vertical, much like an adult grasp.
For more information check out the following links, where I got a lot of my info.
FAQ: Hand Grasp for Writing
Get a Grip: Grasping Patterns in Young Children
All Photo Credit: The Handwriting Doctor
Disclaimer: I am a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. The advise in these tips is not a replacement for medical advise from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult their advice if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child.
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