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Appropriate size of writing instruments and paper for first grade

What does the research say about teaching early writing skills to primary grade students? Are fat pencils and wide-line paper still considered appropriate?

Question applies to ages: 6

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avatarElizabeth.Johns
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I asked my daughter's first grade teacher about this and she said that she's not aware of any hard research on the subject, but each teacher varies. She starts the kids with fat pencils and transitions them to skinny pencils mid-year. The do use the lined paper with the dashed line in the middle to show the children where short letters or the "bodies" of tall letters should start.

While trying to find an answer for you, I did find a discussion in which some teachers found that fat or skinny didn't make a difference, however, using a short pencil, like a golf pencil, often made it easier for first graders to use the correct grip.

References:
mom of a first grader
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