The Effects of Pencil Barrel Shape and Pupil Barrel Preference on Hold or Grip in 8-Year-Old Pupils

Twenty-five 8-year-old pupils wrote with pencils of two different barrel shapes for a 2-week period. At the end of the practice, pupil performance was assessed for pencil grip and writing control. The pupils were invited to give their own observations about the shapes of the two pencils and about their own choice of barrel. Results suggest that pupils are aware of the barrel shape most appropriate for their own writing performance and that pupil pencil grip, once established, may be difficult to change. Publishers should be invited to support research which could enable the establishment of criteria for the selection of an appropriate barrel for each pupil and perhaps, in general, for different characteristics and stages of pupil performance.