Getting Ready to Write
Alistair Bryce-Clegg’s practical guide to the physical journey from gross motor movement to pencil control. The core argument is that writing readiness is a physical matter first — the pivot chain must develop from shoulder to finger before fine motor work and formal writing practice become productive.
Key content
- The pivot progression: shoulder → elbow (emergent then proficient) → wrist → finger
- Grip development: palmar supinate → digital pronate → static tripod → triangulation (tripod) grip
- Component hand skills: pincer grasp, palm arches, in-hand manipulation, thumb opposition, finger isolation, bilateral coordination, crossing the midline, hand-eye coordination
- Dough Gym: setup, moves, sequencing, music, membership cards, Funky Fingers rotation
- Malleable materials: calibrating resistance to the child’s developmental stage
- Interventions: when to intervene on grip, how to introduce “different” rather than “right”