Does handwriting instruction have a place in the instructional day? The relationship between handwriting quality and academic success
Abstract
Handwriting is a foundational skill needed by students to demonstrate
competency in reading, writing, and math. Occupational therapists who work in
schools are tasked with providing remedial services for students who demonstrate
deficits in underlying handwriting mechanics, as opposed to deficits in following
handwriting conventions. Despite this, therapists frequently find the referred stu-
dent has none of the expected mechanical constraints, but instead lacks knowledge
of letter, number, and punctuation mark formation. This is often an outcome of not
being exposed to explicit handwriting instruction. As a result, the researchers sought
to determine whether a relationship exists between academic success in reading,
writing, and math and the quality of handwriting by comparing standards-based
report card grades in reading, writing, and math to scores from the Handwriting
Without Tears Screener of Handwriting Proficiency. Results indicated a significant
positive correlation exists between academic success in writing and reading and
quality of handwriting. The implications of this research suggest there is a further
need to explore whether instructional time should be allocated for handwriting
instruction in the classroom, potentially contributing to increased academic success
for students.