Effectiveness of a Handwriting Readiness Program in Head Start: A Two-Group Controlled Trial

Headnote

OBJECTIVE. This study measured skill improvement in prewriting skills, kindergarten readiness, firstname writing, and handwriting-nonspecific fine motor skills of students at Head Start who participated in Handwriting Without Tears-Get Set for School (HWT-GSS) programming.

METHOD. We conducted a two-group, nonrandomized controlled trial using a pretest-posttest design at a rural Head Start. The effectiveness of adding the HWT-GSS curriculum in one preschool classroom was compared with a control classroom.

RESULTS. On posttesting, the experimental group made significant improvements compared with the control group in prewriting, kindergarten readiness, and fine motor skills. Both groups made significant improvements between pretesting and posttesting in prewriting, first name writing, and school readiness.

CONCLUSION. Adding HWT-GSS to the Head Start program would be beneficial in improving handwriting readiness skills.

KEY WORDS

* early intervention (education)

* handwriting

* motor skills

* rural population

Handwriting is an essential skill young children must acquire; it is emphasized in preschool through elementary grades. Handwriting is more than a simple fine motor task; it requires performance in perceptual-motor skills, motor planning, visual perception, visual-motor integration, bilateral hand skills, inhand manipulation, kinesthesia, sustained attention, sensory processing, and the presence of proper biomechanical components for posture and hand grip (Asher, 2006; Denton, Cope, & Moser, 2006; Erhardt & Meade, 2005; Feder & Majnemer, 2007; Woodward & Swinth, 2002). In the United States, handwriting difficulties may affect up to 27% of school-aged children, a rate that is significant because up to 60% of the school day includes fine motor tasks (McHale & Cermak, 1992). Kindergarten students spend up to 46% of their day completing fine motor activities, of which 42% are paper-and-pencil tasks (Marr, Cermak, Cohn, & Henderson, 2003). By contrast, preschool students spend an average of 37% of their school day engaged in fine motor activities, of which only 10% are paper-and-pencil tasks (Marr et al., 2003).

Handwriting difficulty is the most common reason school-age children are referred for occupational therapy services (Schneck & Amundson, 2010). Multiple studies have illustrated the importance of developing handwriting skills. Because of the importance of handwriting as a daily occupation in all life stages, the consequences of handwriting difficulties are extensive and can be detrimental to academic performance and self-esteem (Erhardt & Meade, 2005; Feder & Majnemer, 2007; Jackman &...