Required by a teacher. Can't see why a pencil "with an eraser wouldn't work.These are so much better than skinnier pencils. Laddies sit nicely in my hand and are also good for emergent writersI've used these pencils with my kids for years. They write smoothly and dark; it is very satisfying and good for early writers. They are long lasting; we loose them before we come close to using them up.I bought the wrong ones. I wanted medium tri-write. Gave them to the school.As someone who has used Ticonderoga pencils for decades, I am happy they remain in business providing the same good quality I have always counted on.Now my grandchildren are using these as they learn handwriting.I feel they are a great value for the qualityOur youngest grandchild is in preschool and is just starting to learn penmanship. These pencils give him good control and comfort to make the task easierIt is a little bit larger than a standard size pencil and it does not have an eraser, which is great. Most erasers seem to harden before I finish using a pencil and only leave a smudge on your paper. It has a soft lead so it is easy to see what is written. It is also comfortable to hold.I have several nice quality mechanical pencils but I still tend to break the lead. This is not a problem with an "old fashioned" wooden pencil.I use my computer a lot but there are times when I prefer actually writing with either a pencil or pen. This pencil fits the bill.Started distance learning, and teacher provided a Laddie pencil. Only took a couple weeks, and pencil got a close to being too short. Luckily, amazon provided 12 pack box at a reasonable price, and next day shipping. The thickness of the pencil is slightly more than the standard but not as thick as a beginner pencil. The lead is great, sharpens well, opaque on the paper. It does fit into our automatic sharpener but requires a bit of pressure. A must have for kindergarten, ans a great alternative for adults that tend to grip their pencils tightly.A buddy of mine uses Sharpies for marking his cuts since it is a bold, easy-to-see mark. However, a felt mark is often too wide, and cannot be erased, which is very unsuitable for finishing work. A regular pencil leaves a mark that can be erased, but is often difficult to see, especially in low light. These Laddie pencils are the ideal combination of the two: a nice, dark line due to the soft 'lead, and the mark can be easily removed using the attached eraser. You need a sharpener that accommodates the larger diameter, but well worth it.