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Effectiveness of a self-regulated remedial program for handwriting difficulties
Hilde Van Waelvelde1, Amy De Roubaix1, Lien Steppe1
1a Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
|March 10, 2017
Summary
The "I Can!" handwriting program significantly improved writing quality in children with handwriting difficulties. This 7-week intervention effectively enhanced self-regulated learning for better penmanship.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric occupational therapy
- Educational psychology
- Motor learning research
Background:
- Handwriting difficulties significantly impact academic performance in children.
- The "I Can!" program is a remedial intervention for typically developing children with handwriting challenges.
- It integrates self-regulated learning, motor learning principles, and behavioral strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the "I Can!" handwriting program.
- To assess improvements in handwriting quality and speed.
Main Methods:
- A cross-over study involving 31 children aged 7-8 years.
- Repeated assessments using the Systematic Screening of Handwriting Difficulties test.
- Evaluation of letter formation fluency, connection fluency, letter height, regularity, word spacing, and line path.
Main Results:
- All participants showed improvements in writing quality and speed.
- Children in the program demonstrated significantly greater improvements in handwriting quality.
- While writing speed increased over time, the program did not yield additional effects on speed.
Conclusions:
- The "I Can!" program is effective in improving handwriting quality for children with difficulties.
- The program's success is attributed to a 7-week intensive approach focusing on self-regulated learning within individualized education plans.
