For most children it is an exciting time where they get to make new friends and play with lots of new toys, and for some children it can be a terrifying time anticipating the unknown... they might feel completely out of their comfort zone. Your job is to be prepared for every event! No pressure...

Before I share some tips to support correct tripod pencil grip with Junior Infant, I want to mention that like every other stage of a child's development there are different stages of pencil grip, children start exploring their pencil grip as early as 3 months old. It is important not to force a child into holding a pencil a certain way before they are ready. This could actually have a negative impact and create a dislike of writing and colouring for a child. The chart below shows the development of pencil grip and each are completely normal at different ages. Some children will be comfortable using the trip-pod grip from the start and some children will progress from one grip to the next at a different pace.