What Happened to Fat Pencils and Crayons?by Lyn Newton | More from this Blogger 23 Nov 2007 07:37 AM Time and phases often repeat themselves. Clothing styles and toys usually come around every so many years. Bell-bottom pants came back renamed as flare jeans and children once again began playing with Cabbage Patch Dolls and Strawberry Shortcake. Education is no exemption to this cycle of life. Methods of teaching and appropriate forms of learning come in and out of date also. At one point in time children were to begin learning to write using large lined pads of paper and fat pencils and crayons. Those pads of paper and crayons and pencils can still be bought today. However, they are typically not seen in a kindergarten or preschool classroom. It is now usually not believed that children should learn to write using any lines at all. The lines are thought to confuse the child more than help. In most cases children begin writing with a blank paper and then may move to using one line, two lines, and then three lines. Lines are used more commonly when children are practicing manuscript rather than creative writing. The fat pencils and crayons are not being used as much anymore due to fine motor skills. The grasp that children use to hold smaller objects increases hand and arm strength. Because it takes more muscles to hold thin crayons and pencils, they are preferred by physical and occupational therapists. In fact some research and speakers that I have heard suggest using smaller than normal pencils such as golf pencils. So for now, fat pencils and crayons and wide ruled pads of paper are not on kindergarten supply lists in my county. It is likely that in future years these items will return to the classroom. As with most theories and research and styles they will cycle around again. New future teachers will learn that our methods today are wrong and that they need to start a movement toward a new way of teaching (which is from the past but only renamed.) Learn more about Lyn Newton  Lyn is a kindergarten teacher and mommy to a girl and a boy. In her spare time, she enjoys informative and creative writing. Relevanteducation tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags fine motor skills, fat pencils, fat crayons, handwriting, preschool Discuss this article
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