Development of handwriting proficiency in compulsory school children: A longitudinal study 1999–2005

• Main Authors: Karlsdóttir, Ragnheiður, Stefánsson, Þórarinn
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Icelandic
• Published: Icelandic Journal of Education 2015
• Subjects: Iceland; handwriting; model alphabet; dysfunction; Ísland; handskrift; forskriftarletur; framfarir; Reykjavík
• Online Access: https://ojs.hi.is/index.php/uppmennt/article/view/1960

In an attempt to reduce an alleged growing handwriting dysfunction among children in Icelandic schools an un-looped cursive style replaced a looped cursive style as a model alphabet for handwriting instruction in the period 1984–1990. This study surveys the results of this exchange and its influence on handwriting dysfunction. The progress in handwriting proficiency of 160 children from ten school classes in Reykjavík was monitored in a longitudinal experimental design over a period of six years. To estimate the children’s readiness for learning handwriting a test of visual motor integration was given at the beginning of Grade 1. The handwriting quality for each child was measured at the end of each grade from Grades 1–6 and the handwriting speed at the end of each grade in Grades 3–6. Handwriting quality was measured by analysing handwriting samples where the quality of each individual letter form was judged as correctly or incorrectly written in comparison to the corresponding letter form as given by the model alphabet. The quality score for a handwriting sample was given as the fraction of correctly written letter forms in the sample. Handwriting speed was measured by counting the number of letters written over a period of two minutes. By averaging the quality and speed scores for individual handwriting samples at each grade, average developmental profiles for handwriting quality and speed were established. By averaging the quality scores given for each letter form the results of the teaching of each individual letter form could be established. The average developmental profile for handwriting quality showed that progress is fast during the first year of cursive handwriting instruction in Grade 2 when the children on the average learned to write 17.4 letterforms correctly out of the 28 letterforms tested. During the next three years only about two correctly written letters were added each year. The reason for this difference in progression is believed to be the difference in emphasis on teaching letter forms ...