“I imagine if you ask an OT, they will tell you that one needs to press harder with a pencil than a pen. Which means they have to hold the pencil with a firmer grip. It trains their muscles so that they can write the letters properly. When they master that, they can use the easier to write with pen. ”
disagree. the pencil really does nothing for that and it is purely the erasability that makes teachers opt for a pencil in early writing days. When accomodations need to be made, it is usually in the opposite direction. Meaning, pencils are the default but if the child is legitimately lacking muscle strength we may offer a marker for increased legibility. Also, if they have sensory issues (like me and rebyidd and millions of others) and the pencil is torturous (for me this extends to fine point pens as well *shudder*) we go for the pen.
When needing to adjust grip pressure, usually the choice is a fatter pencil or marker.
just my two (professional) cents.