How to Improve Tripod Grasp and Handwriting?

When you write your body and mind need collaboration, coordination and right order.

Your shoulder needs to stay steady while your wrist and elbow move in just the right way.

See Couching Ergonomics - The Position Skills

http://www.peterson-handwriting.com/Early%20Childhood/Lefthandedchild.html

Your eyes have to follow what your hand is doing.
Your brain needs to know how words and letters are supposed to look and make decisions about what you want to write.

Steps To Improve Tripod Grasp and Handwriting

Get a Great Grasp!

Follow these instructions when helping your child with their pencil grip:

Make an OK sign with your fingers.
Place the pencil between your thumb and pointer finger.
Rest your pencil on the end of your middle finger.
Tuck your other two fingers in towards your palm.
Make sure that the end of your pencil is pointing backwards and is resting on the base of your thumb.

“DIY Pencil Grip to Improve Handwriting” by Tiffany Birt, Occupaional Therapist - video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZO26RwEyiU#t=130

Sick to the Paper with Lines!

Those lines can help you create letters that are the right size and proportion. Proportion means that one thing is the right size compared with the other. So your lowercase "a" should be half the height of a capital "A." Be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should stretch from the bottom line to the top one. Lines also can keep you writing straight instead of uphill or downhill.

Guide Sheets with Instructions

http://www.iampeth.com/lessons/guidesheets/Copperplate%20practice%20sheets%20by%20RBH.pdf
Plain Practice Sheet - Primary
http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/printables/files/primaryplainwriting.pdf
Practice Sheet -Intermediate
http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/printables/files/handwritingintermediate.pdf

Foundational Guide Sheet

http://www.iampeth.com/lessons/guidesheets/Foundational%20Guidesheet%20by%20Marian%20Gault.pdf

Slow Down!

Slow down your writing. When you rush, it's hard to control where you stop and start your letters, and you end up making more mistakes and erasing more frequently.

Lower Pressure on a Pen!

When you press down really hard it makes it harder to make the smooth lines needed for writing, especially cursive. Try easing up, don't grip the pencil as tightly, and let your pencil mark the paper without going all the way through.

Play Games!

Lots of games require you to write or draw pictures. To have better control of how your hands move try games.

“Jenga” Game - During the game, players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks. Each block removed is then balanced on top of the tower, creating a progressively taller but less stable structure. The game ends when the tower falls in even a minor way. The winner is the last person to successfully remove and place a block.
“Don't Spill the Beans” Game - is a children's game for 2 or more players ages 3-6. The object of the game is to toss all one's plastic beans into a pot without tipping the pot over and "spilling the beans". Players are given a pile of beans, and take turns placing them inside a plastic tipping pot. If a player's bean causes the pot to spill over, all the spilled beans are added to their pile. Play continues until one player has put all of his beans into the pot making him the winner.
To strengthen the muscles you need for writing, you can also do that while you're playing board games or acting, e.g.: Pretend you're a famous writer or designer who gives autographs.

See educational video “Practical Advice to Help Improve Handwriting” by Amanda McLeod. She gives tips to parents who want to help support their children with handwriting at home, covering lighting, sitting position, pencil position, paper position, and an overview of the common errors that can be found in writing.