Grip Changes and Evolves Over Time and Drawings Change to Reflect These Physical Modifications

As we provide children with the materials and opportunities to scribble we promote physical skills. Just as babbling is a natural way to gain language, scribbling is a natural gateway to muscle control and coordination. In fact, scribbling has been equated to "motor babbling" and is considered as essential to visual expression as babbling is to verbal development.  With practice, children naturally improve control of wrist and finger movements. Full control, however, isn’t achieved until much later.

At a young age children begin to draw, employing rhythmic, repetitive, curvilinear and zig-zag motions, these movements becomes more refined over time and with repeated exposure to drawing materials and opportunities to draw. As they practice using pincer grip their hand is strengthened which further develops fine motor skills, thus meeting the Colorado Academic Standards for pre-writing (Colorado Department of Education [CDE].

In the beginning children employ a whole handgrip when using drawing tools.  These drawings tend to be more a record of movement than descriptive drawings.  As hand strength changes children tend to evolve toward a pincer grip allowing for more detailed drawings and precise movements.

As precision of movement increases with hand strength, dexterity develops.  This in turn allows for more refined and deliberate mark making.  Grip change directly affects drawing and mark making.  Control of the hand, fine motor development, and coordination all benefit when children are able to exercising their right to draw.