Pen Grip Force, Fine Motor Skills and Handwriting in Children

Pen Grip Force Fine Motor Skills and Handwriting in Children

The Australian Occupational Therapy Journal published research examining pen-grip kinetics during writing tasks of 181 school-age children (5-12 years old) and investigate the relationship between the kinetic factors and fine motor skills.  A force acquisition pen was to measure the forces applied from the digits and pen-tip were measured during writing tasks.  Each child’s fine motor skills were also evaluated.  The results indicated the following:

• peak force and average force might not be direct indicators of handwriting performance for typically developing children ages 5-12.
• younger children showed larger force variation and lower adjustment frequency during writing.
• force control when handling a pen is significantly correlated with fine motor performance, particularly manual dexterity.

The researchers concluded that manipulation skill may be crucial when children are establishing their handwriting capabilities.

Reference:  Lin, Y. C., Chao, Y. L., Wu, S. K., Lin, H. H., Hsu, C. H., Hsu, H. M., & Kuo, L. C. (2017). Comprehension of handwriting development: Pen‐grip kinetics in handwriting tasks and its relation to fine motor skills among school‐age children. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.

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