The Hidden Impact of Hypermobility on Pencil Grasp

When children begin learning to write, it’s easy to focus on pencil type, handwriting worksheets, and letter formation. But beneath those early writing skills lies something far more fundamental, how a child’s body supports their hand to hold and control a pencil.

For some children, particularly those with hypermobility, this foundation can be a little wobbly, quite literally!

What is Hypermobility?

Hypermobility means that a child’s joints move beyond the typical range of motion. It’s sometimes called being “double-jointed,” but it’s more than flexibility. Hypermobility occurs when the connective tissues, the ligaments that stabilise joints, are extra stretchy.

While this flexibility can be advantageous in some activities like dance or gymnastics, it can also make everyday tasks that require endurance, stability, and fine motor control, such as writing, cutting, or dressing, more difficult.

Research shows that children with hypermobility often experience reduced muscle strength, joint stability, and endurance (Knight et al., 2021; Clinch & Eccleston, 2009). These factors play a significant role in how a child develops a functional and efficient pencil grasp.

How Hypermobility Affects Pencil Grasp

To hold and control a pencil effectively, the small muscles of the hand and fingers need to work in harmony with the larger muscles of the shoulder and core. When a child has hypermobile joints in their hands, wrists, or fingers, several challenges can appear:

• Low joint stability: The fingers may “collapse” or bend backwards when pressing on the pencil, making it harder to control pressure or direction.

• Fatigue and pain: Hypermobility can cause hand muscles to tire quickly, leading children to lose interest or avoid drawing and writing tasks.

• Compensatory grips: To gain stability, children often develop awkward grasps — such as wrapping their thumb around the pencil or holding it tightly — which can limit dexterity and fluidity later on.

• Reduced fine motor precision: Without stable joints, the hand struggles to make the small, refined movements required for neat handwriting.

Over time, these patterns can become ingrained, making it much harder to correct once formal schooling begins.

Why It’s Important to Address Before School

School readiness isn’t just about knowing letters and numbers, it’s about having the strong foundations for learning. When hypermobility goes unrecognised, children may:

• Fatigue quickly during writing tasks, impacting concentration and confidence

• Experience discomfort or even pain in their hands

• Avoid fine motor activities like drawing, colouring, or using scissors

• Struggle to keep up with classroom demands, affecting self-esteem

Early intervention allows children to strengthen their fine motor foundation before the demands of daily writing begin. Occupational therapists can help identify if your child’s grasp difficulties are related to joint hypermobility and develop a plan to build stability, control, and confidence.

How an Occupational Therapist Can Help

A paediatric occupational therapist can assess your child’s joint range, muscle strength, and grasp pattern to determine how hypermobility is impacting their fine motor skills. Support might include:

• Strengthening and stability activities – play-based exercises that target hand, shoulder, and core stability.

• Adaptive grips or tools – trialling pencil grips or weighted pencils to reduce fatigue and improve control.

• Skill-building through play – games and activities that build fine motor coordination in a fun, meaningful way.

• Parent education – strategies for everyday play that support your child’s development at home.

The goal isn’t to rush handwriting, rather it’s to prepare your child’s body to enjoy it.

What Parents Can Look Out For

If you notice your child:

• Holds their pencil awkwardly or changes their grip often

• Tires easily when colouring or drawing

• Avoids fine motor tasks or complains of sore hands

• Has fingers that bend backwards or appear “floppy”

… it may be worth having an occupational therapy assessment before they start school.

Hypermobility is common and often overlooked. But when it comes to early writing success, understanding how it affects your child’s body can make all the difference. Supporting joint stability and fine motor strength early can help your child enter school feeling confident, comfortable, and ready to write.

Why Hand Dominance Matters Before Starting School

As parents, we spend the year before school making sure our children are ready in so many ways, recognising their name, following routines, making friends. But one important piece of school readiness that often goes unnoticed is hand dominance.

If your child is starting school in 2026 or 2027, this is the perfect time to understand how hand dominance develops and why it matters for your child’s confidence and coordination once they walk into the classroom.

What is Hand Dominance?

Hand dominance, or hand preference, is when a child consistently uses one hand for skilled tasks such as drawing, cutting or writing, while the other hand supports or stabilises. It reflects how the brain organises fine motor control and develops efficiency.

Children experiment with both hands from toddlerhood, but by around four years of age, most begin to show a clear preference. This doesn’t mean that swapping hands occasionally is a concern, but as school approaches, consistency should start to appear.

Guidelines from the Royal Children’s Hospital and the HSE Paediatric Occupational Therapy team explain that this stage of development supports the coordination and strength needed for more complex fine motor tasks such as writing, scissoring and using classroom tools.

Why Hand Dominance is Important Before School

It is easy to assume that children will “just pick a hand” eventually, but the development of hand dominance has meaningful effects on school performance, coordination and self-confidence.

Fine Motor Skills and Writing Readiness

Research published in Frontiers in Psychology (Michel et al., 2014) shows that children with a stable hand preference develop smoother motor planning and use less effort for skilled movements. Without a clear preference, children may switch hands mid-task, experience fatigue or find writing and cutting more difficult.

Bilateral Coordination and Crossing the Midline

Dominance also helps both hands work together efficiently. One becomes the “doing” hand while the other is the “helping” hand that stabilises objects. This cooperation supports tasks such as holding paper still while writing, cutting shapes or managing lunch containers. Children who are unsure of which hand to use often avoid reaching across their body, which can make these everyday activities more effortful.

Confidence and Independence

A child who can confidently control their pencil, scissors or playdough tools feels capable and independent. This sense of mastery sets the tone for a positive start to school. When tasks take extra effort, frustration can quickly build.

What Happens if Hand Dominance Isn’t Established

If a child still switches hands frequently by the start of school, you might notice slower fine motor progress or difficulty completing tasks efficiently. Some children tire quickly, struggle to stabilise materials or avoid drawing and writing altogether.

A study in the Journal of Applied Sciences (2008) found that unclear hand preference was associated with slower development of classroom-based skills, likely due to increased cognitive effort and reduced motor efficiency. While this doesn’t mean every child who swaps hands will struggle, early support can prevent frustration and make learning smoother.

How to Support Hand Dominance at Home

Supporting hand dominance should feel natural, playful and pressure-free. The goal is to give your child plenty of opportunities to explore and strengthen their preferred hand. Here are three practical strategies to support hand dominance without adding additional tasks to an already busy household!

Observe Without Forcing
Notice which hand your child uses for everyday activities such as eating, brushing teeth or drawing. Allow them to explore freely. Forcing a hand choice can create confusion and delay progress.

Place Tools in the Middle
Position pencils, scissors and other tools directly in front of your child so they can naturally choose which hand feels comfortable.

Encourage “Doing” and “Helping” Language
Use language such as “Which hand is doing the work?” or “Let’s use your helping hand to hold the paper.” This helps your child understand the role of both hands.

When to Seek Support from an Occupational Therapist

It may be worth checking in with a paediatric occupational therapist if your child is four or five and still swaps hands frequently, tires quickly using one hand, avoids crossing the midline, or struggles with fine motor tasks such as cutting, drawing or managing clothing fasteners.

An OT can assess your child’s development and provide play based strategies that strengthen coordination and make fine motor tasks feel easier and more natural. Early support can build confidence, prevent fatigue and make the transition to school smoother.

The Takeaway for Parents

Establishing hand dominance is not about deciding whether your child will be right or left handed. It’s about giving their brain the foundation it needs for confident and coordinated movement.

By supporting hand preference and fine motor strength during the preschool years, you are helping your child begin school feeling capable and ready to learn. By addressing hand dominance sooner rather than later, your child can walk into their first classroom ready to write, create and participate with confidence.