Comparisons among tools, surface orientation, and pencil grasp for children 23 months of age.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether writing tool type and angle of writing surface affect grasp. METHOD Fifty-one children 23 to 24 months of age who were typically developing drew with a primary marker, colored pencil, and small piece of crayon on a table and an easel. The marker and pencil were presented pointing left, right, and toward the child. The order of writing tool presentation was counterbalanced. Grasps were scored with a 5-point rating system and analyzed with dependent t tests. RESULTS Children used a more mature grasp when drawing with a piece of crayon than with a pencil. No difference in grasp maturity was found when using a pencil compared with a marker. A more mature grasp when drawing on the easel compared with the table was used with the crayon but not with the marker or pencil. CONCLUSION Results imply that a short writing tool combined with a vertical surface can influence the grasp of young children.