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Updated: May 15, 2026
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A Tablet-Based Curriculum-Based Measurement Protocol for Kindergarten Writing
Published on: February 7, 2025
Assessing handwriting intervention effectiveness in elementary school students: a two-group controlled study.
Tsu-Hsin Howe1, Karen Laurie Roston, Ching-Fan Sheu
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, 35 West Fourth Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10012, USA. tsuhsin.howe@nyu.edu
Summary
Intensive handwriting practice significantly improved legibility in young students. This approach, delivered via a Handwriting Club, offers an effective, short-term intervention for elementary schools.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Educational Psychology
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Handwriting is a fundamental skill for academic success in elementary education.
- Developing effective handwriting interventions is crucial for supporting young learners.
- Previous research indicates a need for evidence-based handwriting programs in schools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of intensive handwriting practice versus visual-perceptual-motor activities for improving children's handwriting.
- To evaluate the impact of a 12-week Handwriting Club intervention on handwriting speed, legibility, and visual-motor skills.
- To determine the suitability of the Handwriting Club model as a short-term, Tier II intervention within school curricula.
Main Methods:
- A nonequivalent pretest-posttest group design was employed with 72 first and second-grade students in New York City public schools.
- Participants were divided into two groups, engaging in either intensive handwriting practice or visual-perceptual-motor activities.
- Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze changes in handwriting speed, legibility, and visual-motor skills after the 12-week intervention.
Main Results:
- Students participating in intensive handwriting practice showed statistically significant improvements in handwriting legibility compared to the visual-perceptual-motor activity group.
- No significant differences were observed in handwriting speed between the two intervention groups.
- No significant differences were found in visual-motor skills between the intensive handwriting practice and visual-perceptual-motor activities groups.
Conclusions:
- Intensive handwriting practice is an effective method for enhancing handwriting legibility in elementary school students.
- The Handwriting Club model provides a practical and effective short-term intervention that can be integrated into existing school programs.
- This intervention aligns with a Response to Intervention (RTI) Tier II framework, offering targeted support for students needing handwriting improvement.
