Just published
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/896810/EYFS_Early_Adopter_Framework.pdf

@jan_dubiel and I will be exploring these goals at our next online webinar. I’ll be releasing tickets at 7pm tonight

On the left the new ELG for children aged 4-5, on the right, the expectations of experts in child development, occupational therapists and handwriting experts. There are many reasons why young children struggle with tripod grip at this age. Not least to do with ossification.

( see my pinned tweet if you’re interested). But if we’re going to focus on tripod grip it would be useful to have the necessary prerequisites in the gross motor goal. Shoulder girdle strength, core strength, upper body strength, distal control, proprioception etc etc.

I’m not saying that children are incapable of developing a dynamic tripod grip in yR. Some do, some children take longer, some children never do but develop a comfortable, efficient grip instead. In fact Rosemary Sassoon (of Sassoon don’t game) spoke about this on last weeks TES

Podcast. The point I’m making is that if we make it a goal we are in danger of pathologising normal child development, particularly for the younger children in the class, and the boys (ossification tends to be slightly later in males). We could end up focussing on something which

Is developing at perfectly normal rate and label a child as “behind” when they’re actually typical for their age and stage. We could end up putting children off mark making and writing because we’re insisting on a grip which is beyond their physical capability right now.

So while I would be happy to see this lead to an increased understanding of the necessary prerequisites for writing, I fear it will lead to a focus entirely on fine motor and tripod grip which could be detrimental in the long term.

I’ve lost count of the number of children I’ve spotted in ks2 classrooms who have a tripod grip and terrible handwriting. Often they lack core and shoulder girdle strength and once this is pointed out and developed, their writing improves. It’s not always about the grip!