• Home
  • About
  • Featured Reviews
  • Request a Review
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe

The Curriculum Choice

Making homeschool decisions easy

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Blog
  • How To Homeschool
    • By Review Team
    • Encouragement
    • New to Homeschooling
    • Organization
  • Reviews by Grade
    • Elementary
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Preschool
  • Reviews by Subject
    • Bible
    • Economics
    • Fine Arts
      • Art
      • Music
    • Foreign Language
    • Highschool
    • History & Geography
      • Geography
      • History
    • Home Economics
    • Language Arts
      • Grammar
      • Handwriting
      • Literature
      • Phonics
      • Reading
      • Spelling
      • Vocabulary
      • Writing
    • Logic
    • Math
    • Science & Technology
      • Science
      • Technology
        • Apps

in Elementary· Handwriting· Preschool· Writing

Pencil Grips and Aids by Draw Your World – My Review

Starter Pencil Kit by Draw Your World - review at The Curriculum Choice. Pencil Grips and Aids

Do your little ones struggle with handwriting?  Is it hard for them to hold a pencil comfortably?  Or do they grip it very tightly?  Learning to write shouldn’t have to be a struggle.  There are so many ways we can help, and one of my favorite tools is the Starter Pencil Kit from Draw Your World.

book sample

You probably know the folks at Draw Your World from their wonderful series of work books, Draw Write Now. When my daughter was little, she loved writing and drawing in theses books.  Especially the drawing!  Click here for my review of the Draw Write Now series.  The one on Farms was my little one’s all time favorite.

Draw Your World also offers another great resource – the Starter Pencil Kit, which is full of helpful writing aids and devices to make learning to write easier for your kids.

The Starter Pencil Set includes six aids for handwriting:

1.  Pencil Grip

2.  Crossover Grip

3.  Writing CLAWS

4.  Jumbo Grip Pencil

5.  Twist ‘n Write Pencil

6. TriWrite Crayon

Each of these aids helps the child to grasp their pencil more easily.  The best way to use these aids, I think, is to play with them! Handwriting is so much easier if your child is relaxed, and not using excessive effort in grasping his pencil or crayon.  Get these aids out, let your child experiment with what they like best, and do some coloring!

Here’s a great aid to start with – the TriWrite Crayon…

crayon

 

It’s easy to hold, and is actually a crayon!  All of these devices can help your child to  develop a more mature grasp, called tripod grasp.

1

The Pencil Starter Kit also comes with tips and advice for using these writing aids, with helpful graphics, including the following instructional sheets:

1.  Hold Your Pencil

2.  Four Ways to Use TriWrite Crayons

3.  Draw Write Now sample lesson

There are so many ways to make learning how to write easier….even playing with small LEGO bricks can help build small muscle coordination.  And don’t forget the value of pudding finger painting, too!

For more information, please go to DrawYourWorld and be sure to visit the Pencils and Grips page.

If you are looking for help for early handwriting and grasp skills, my family recommends the Starter Pencil Kit.  You might also like my review – Handwriting Helps-Play Pack Cards Review.

Betsy blogs at BJ’s Homeschool,  where she writes about high school, college,and all the fun of homeschooling the early years, too.  As a veteran homeschooler, Betsy also offers homeschool help to families.   

-originally published October 2014

Filed Under: Elementary, Handwriting, Preschool, Writing Tagged With: written by Betsy

Previous Post: « December Homeschool Celebrations
Next Post: Homeschool Resources to Celebrate MLK Jr. Day »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela Vasquez says

    October 17, 2014 at 7:44 am

    My five year old is eager to write. He posts notes all over the house. He seems easily discouraged when he discovers that his notes don’t actually say what he wants them to say.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 9:57 pm

      How nice that your son posts notes around the house. He is learning that written language is used to communicate important things. Thanks for sharing, +Angela Vasquez.

      Reply
  2. Rebekah Shaver says

    October 17, 2014 at 8:08 am

    My 6 year old son is doing MUCH better this year, but still struggles. Last year he could NOT grasp his pencil for more than a few minutes, and could not hold it properly. He still complains of his hand hurting after writing for very long. His hold is closer to being right, but he still needs to improve. These would be a HUGE help!!

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:04 pm

      You describe your son’s writing so well! Sometimes it just takes time. My daughter found it was easier for her to write, when her paper was taped to the frig, of all things. That way, with her paper above her, her wrist was positioned better, and she enjoyed writing her words that way. Thanks for sharing, +Rebekah Shaver.

      Reply
  3. Erin Cyr says

    October 17, 2014 at 7:00 pm

    My 5 year old is a decent writer but sometimes gets frustrated with getting what’s in his head to come through on the paper. This kit would be great to try.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:07 pm

      Thanks for sharing, +Erin Cyr. That is a common problem of all good writers!

      Reply
  4. Rosanna says

    October 17, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    My middle daughter is 9 and still dislikes writing lower case letters and “small”, and has a hard time with pencil grip- so she is using a grip assist tool… my youngest is 6 and is using a pencil grip as well to help work on her holding a pencil- although her handwriting and control has dramatically improved in the last two weeks. My oldest is almost 12 and still just dislikes the process of writing anything onto paper- these tools look like they would help all three get more comfortable with the actual process of writing.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:11 pm

      Thanks for sharing, +Rosanna, and it sounds like you have three up and coming writers. The process of learning to comfortably grasp the pencil can take a while, as you know, and you sound like you are already know just what to do to encourage them.

      Reply
  5. lynn says

    October 17, 2014 at 8:02 pm

    My sweek son is sure struggling to remember to hd the pencil properly. This would be a great help for him.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:16 pm

      Thanks for sharing, +Lynn

      Reply
  6. Irina says

    October 18, 2014 at 1:59 am

    We practice knitting and working the beeswax. Wonderful to develop those fine motor skills.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:20 pm

      My daughter also liked to knit, and that is such a great suggestion, to encourage others as well. The beeswax can also work to strengthen those little muscles, too. Thanks for sharing, +Irina.

      Reply
  7. Heart of a Philanthropist Blogger Kim says

    October 19, 2014 at 7:42 am

    My nephew is just starting kindergarten and hasn’t learned how to hold a pencil properly yet. He can color and holds crayons well enough so hopefully it will be an easy transaction for him.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:22 pm

      It sounds like your nephew is benefitting a lot from his coloring, so I think it should be an easy transition, too. Thanks for sharing, +Kim.

      Reply
  8. LeAnn says

    October 19, 2014 at 6:25 pm

    Biggest problem is that she (4yo) wants to write words! We are learning how to correct pencil grip.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:24 pm

      So you have an up and coming writer, +LeAnn! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  9. Stephanie says

    October 20, 2014 at 12:27 am

    I think this is something that will definitely help my son. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 20, 2014 at 10:26 pm

      Thanks for sharing, +Stephanie!

      Reply
  10. Aimee says

    October 21, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    My son is 5.5 and has a hard time writing. He wants to but hates it. I think a big part of his issue is that he doesn’t grip correctly. He probably needs more work strengthening those muscles in his hand.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 21, 2014 at 11:25 pm

      Thanks for your comment, +Aimee. Grasping the pencil takes a lot of practice for many kids.

      Reply
  11. Elaine Goh says

    October 21, 2014 at 4:31 pm

    My 2.5 yo hasn’t learned how to correctly pencil grip yet. In fact, today, I just broke off some crayons so that it’s shorter — to help him with the pencil grip. It’s interesting you mentioned the crayons aren’t part of the giveaway set anymore. But I reckon the others will still help. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 21, 2014 at 11:31 pm

      Thanks for your comment, +Elaine Goh. The kit includes three short beeswax crayons, like your little one is using at home. What a great idea of yours, to make your crayons shorter!

      Reply
  12. Loretta says

    October 21, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    My six year old has Sensory Processing Disorder and i have a very hard time getting her to write I am hoping your writing tools will help her.

    Reply
    • Betsy says

      October 21, 2014 at 11:35 pm

      Thanks, +Loretta, for sharing. When it is a struggle, anything to make it fun can be a help, such as drawing in fingerpaint, writing letters in the air, using a container of rice, or beans, and make the letters in that, etc. And sometimes it just takes more time, and that is ok too.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

We are a veteran group of home educators with a mission – to spread the word about our favorite curricula and help YOU make informed decisions for your homeschool. Meet the review authors and browse the homeschooling tips they share!

Subscribe For Free Choosing Homeschool Curriculum Guide

Success! Please check your email and confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Sponsors and Affiliates

Homeschoolinghomeschool

Our Sister Websites

 


Follow Curriculum Choice's board Homeschool Reviews by The Curriculum Choice on Pinterest.

Recent Comments

  • Terry on Magic Tree House Curriculum
  • Thara on How To Make An Overall Plan for The Year
  • The Best Winter Nature Books for Cozy Homeschooling - Homeschool Nature Study on Homeschool Outdoor Hour Challenges using The Handbook of Nature Study
  • Tara Fortener on Why Can’t My Child Learn Multiplication?
  • Sherrie Davidson on Using the CAT Test for Homeschool Testing
  • Advertising
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Philosophies
  • Request a Review

Copyright © 2025 · The Curriculum Choice, a Southern Hodgepodge, L.L.C. site.