Multitiered systems of support (MTSS) are an effective and efficient framework burgeoning in schools across the United States. School-based occupational therapy practitioners (SBOTPs) have much to offer in the MTSS framework and can influence school-based outcomes. Understanding the current literature and its implications for practice is…

This randomized controlled trial with first- and second-grade students is the first experimental study addressing long-running disagreements about whether primary grade students should develop transcription and oral language abilities before learning to compose. It is also the first study at these grade levels to teach close reading (using science…

This study examined the longitudinal relationship between early handwriting skills and the growth of spelling and reading skills in a large sample (N = 569) of 5- to 6-year-old children unselected for ability. The quality of children's handwriting was assessed using five indicators (letter form, slant, rhythm, ability, general appearance).…

Several therapeutic strategies and approaches are used to facilitate handwriting skills in children with illegible writing. One strategy is weighted pencils; however, there is little empirical evidence of the strategy's efficacy. In case scenarios of three children who were unable to form letters, weighted pencils improved their handwriting, and a…

Although copying and name writing skills are regarded as the indicators of handwriting development in alphabetic writing systems, there is limited information on logographs such as Chinese. Chinese characters are not only simply a combination of strokes as letters in English, but also place a great demand on visuospatial ability to maintain good…

Although fluency and automaticity of handwriting have been recognized as important research topics for 30 years, empirical data on respective developmental courses among typically developing children as well as clinical samples have remained very limited. To fill this gap, this study investigates the development of handwriting automaticity…

Writers typically produce their writing in bursts. In this article, the authors examine written language bursts in a sample of 33 children aged 11 years with specific language impairment. Comparisons of the children with specific language impairment with an age-matched group of typically developing children (n = 33) and a group of younger,…

The 1971-1972 developmental tryout of level one of the Southwest Regional Laboratory (SWRL) Composition Skills Program is described in this report, and results obtained in a wide range of school locations are detailed. Level one is designed to promote beginning manuscript printing skills and is normally administered in kindergarten. A variety of…

Citing five drawbacks to the traditional "sticks and balloons" method of printing used in beginning handwriting instruction, this pamphlet proposes instead the use of the D'Nealian continuous stroke printing method. The pamphlet contains arguments for using the method with learning disabled and dyslexic students, suggestions for…

Presents findings from an in-depth study of children's composing processes in an effort to explain handwriting performance in relation to child development and the writing process. (GT)

A random sample of primary grade teachers from across the United States was surveyed about their instructional practices in handwriting. Nine out of every ten teachers indicated that they taught handwriting, averaging 70 minutes of instruction per week. Only 12% of teachers, however, indicated that the education courses taken in college adequately…

Research in the area of handwriting legibility has been hampered in the past because of a lack of objective procedures for evaluating letter formations. This study used a recently developed evaluative instrument to answer questions concerning the legibility of the handwriting of 22 first-grade students. Two baseline conditions and four…

Suggests a conceptual framework for the handwriting system, consisting of three elements: the hand, the writing instrument, and paper. Discusses the integration of these elements relative to handwriting performance, presents an overview of relevant research and a proposal for needed research, analyzes and compares writing instrument designs, and…

Handwriting currently has a low status and profile in literacy education. This paper examines the situation of current handwriting pedagogy in England and considers why handwriting efficiency has been neglected. The paper goes on to identify a number of studies located in the domains of special needs and psychology which re-evaluate the role of…

Because sensorimotor and environmental factors have a profound effect on children's learning, every teacher should know how to weave strategies from occupational therapy (OT) into their everyday instruction. This is the guidebook K-3 teachers need to "think like an OT"--and form effective partnerships with OTs in their schools--so all students can…