Primary My First Ticonderoga

The My First Tri-Write pencils are wonderful for little ones who are learning to write. The triangular shape conforms to the hand easier than standard round pencils. As a school administrator and former general education and special education teacher - I can endorse the use of the triangle pencils for many reasons - they do not roll of student desks like the round ones do; they support the motor skills for proper grip on pencils; etc. The My First Tri-Write Pencil is larger than regular #2 pencils - which makes them perfect for pre-school, kindergarten and primary grade students use. As a school administrator I know the importance of having the right materials and tools for children based on age and developmental stage. I order lots of these pencils for student use. I only order the Ticonderoga brand because they are a better quality - meaning the pencils sharpen evenly, they are made so that the lead is larger so the "pencil point" does not break as easily. For parents with children who need to develop fine motor skills, early writing skills, etc. I recommend ordering these pencils for home use as well.

TL;DR If you want a crank style desk/wall mount sharpener, buy the Bostitch MPS1-BLK - DO NOT BUY the X-acto KS. I decided to switch to these "My first tri-write" pencils in my shop, instead of the mixture of standard #2's, and carpenters pencils I use now. The problem is that my X-acto KS wouldn't sharpen these pencils. the hole was large enough, but it would stop sharpening the pencil before it got to the lead, leaving sharpened wood, and no lead sticking out, let alone sharpened. I of course searched the reviews and questions here on amazon, and found people asking about sharpeners, but the answers, as are typical for amazon answering system were maddeningly useless, full of gems like "just use any sharpener", "get one at the dollar store", or "I use a 60 year old sharpener". I wish I could ask those people how on earth they thought those responses were helpful to anybody. I had to ask and delete my own very specific question several times when people would inevitably give useless responses, but eventually some kind soul actually answered the question I asked. So, thank you dear "Bruno H." for being the only person on amazon capable of answering a question with a useful and functional response, and of course for suggesting the Bostitch MPS1-BLK sharpener. Another person answered my question stating that the X-Acto KS works, but I can say with 100% confidence my MY X-acto KS would not sharpen these pencils, as evidenced in the photos I've attached. My X-Acto KS sharpener is about 3 years old, so maybe they've changed the barrel without changing the model number? Or maybe that was just yet another useless answer from amazons most valuable helpers. I've attached 3 photos to my review: 1 - The successfully sharpened pencil with the Bostitch MPS1-BLK 2 - The failed sharpening from the x-acto KS 3 - 3 pencils side by side, with the x-acto sharpened pencil on top, and two pencils from the bostitch below. As you can see the bostitch has a fair amount of slop resulting in uneven sharpening. This isn't ideal, but whatever, it works and it was only 10 bucks.

Goofy, but nice for workshop, marking rough surfaces, and unlike a traditional flat carpenters pencil, it's able to write a detailed note. Bonus, there are a lot of them allowing me to leave them in many places, cutting down on the time spent walking around looking for a pencil! Feels nice in my paw as well.

My First/Beginners Ticonderoga are the best pencils. The whole family uses them and loves the size and comfort. These triangle shaped ones make the My First/Beginners even better and the shape is more natural for gripping comfort (especially for people who grip and press hard, like children). They also stay put better (triangle barrel doesn't roll as much). They don't roll off the table when my kids are drawing or crafting. And my husband likes them for use in his workshop and for woodworking. If you like wood pencils (and who doesn't?) try these. And do yourself a favor and get the x-acto auto adjusting electric sharpener that can sharpen just about any size pencil.

Top quality pencil. These may be advertised for children but they are great for building work. Who ever thought rectangular pencils were the best for calenders neverctryed these

This is a good product. I like it that it is darker than the standard size pencils. My 5-yr-old daughter started writing early, so I bought these per the Kumon instructor's recommendation. Though I did not do comparison study, I feel it's easier for my daughter to hold it and encourages her to write and trace. The only down side is that you run through these pencils very fast as you sharpen them. However, given the amount of homework for a typical K student, one pack of these pencils should be sufficient for the whole school year. Once the child hits first grade, their fine motor skill is sufficiently developed for them to graduate to a standard size wood pencil. My daughter prefers this pencil than the same size round pencil from Ticonderoga. The best sharpener I found for these pencils is the Germany made Staedtler two-hole pencil sharpener. You can find it in Staples. It costs more than $3, but is totally worth the price.

These fat pencils are a great tool for all elementary school students. It it’s easier for students to grasp the thicker pencil than it is the standard number two thin pencil. The tripod, thicker pencil gives even more stability to the students, plus the kids love these pencils. it’s a great incentive since most kids don’t like to write.

My 3 year old loves these pencils. She is in preschool and is learning how to write. We tried regular pencils and pencil grips trying to figure out how to get her to hold pencil correctly nothing worked. These pencils are amazing she holds it perfectly and the lead is very dark. Great quality! I highly recommend for all preschool kids learning to hold a pencil and learning to write! I just gave her preschool teacher a box for her class and the group of pre-K teachers loved it. They no longer struggle with the kids and the kids no longer struggle! Everyone’s holding Pencil properly and writing!

Beat value!! These pencils rock! My preschool aged kids ans 11 month old we’re using these with ease! I prefer to write with these as it’s nice and dark and requires little pressure

My students are obsssed with these pencils that we kindly refer to as the big fatties. I love how they help students with poor fine motor get a better grip for writing. They are disappearing quick from my pencil tray. Will need to re-order for the fall.

Product works well for kids that have difficulty holding a pencil

I liked the fact that it helped with pincer grasp. I used them with preschoolers who were learning how to control their fine motor skills.

Great product, my first grader loves these pencils!