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Although "pencil anxiety" is not an
official term, it is a term I coined for your son's problem, which
is a typical pattern I find in many boys who have early handwriting
problems. The problem may be due simply to the fact that boys
tend to become less interested than girls in coloring, writing,
cutting, and pasting during the preschool years. Therefore, their
small muscle coordination seems to develop poorly as it relates
to handwriting, although their ability to construct with Legos
or use screwdrivers is not affected.
Elementary school-age children tend to
equate fast work with intelligence, and therefore believe that
the smartest kids in the class finish first. Thus, in the early
grades, when writing is physically difficult and slow for them,
they often give up or avoid writing altogether. They become anxious
about the whole process.
I suggest an exercise I call "speeding,"
during which your son competes against himself to observe his
writing improvement. Encourage him to use a computer and tape
recorder for his story production as well. Once he gets his ideas
out, he'll become less anxious about committing them to print.
For more information on pencil anxiety
and "speeding," please send a self-addressed, stamped
envelope to P.O. Box 45489, Cleveland, OH, 44145.
Dr. Sylvia Rimm,Phd
Copyright © 2000,
Creators Syndicate, Inc.
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