Screener of Handwriting Proficiency: Student Performance and Expectations from Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Occupational Therapy
• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Handwriting is crucial for academic success and daily functioning in children.
• Existing screening tools for handwriting skills are limited, especially for progress monitoring.
• The Screener of Handwriting Proficiency (SHP) offers a quick, non-standardized approach to assess these skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish initial benchmarks for the Screener of Handwriting Proficiency (SHP).
• To analyze the progression of print and cursive handwriting skills in students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
• To compare student performance against the assessment developer's expectations.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective normative research design was employed.
• Data from students (K-5) assessed up to three times during the school year were analyzed.
• Scores were compared to established benchmarks and developer expectations.

Main Results:

• Print writing skills showed median score increases from K-2, with kindergarten exhibiting the most growth.
• Cursive writing skills improved across grades, with third grade showing the most significant gains.
• Fifth-grade students demonstrated a decline in cursive word skills, indicating a potential area for concern.

Conclusions:

• The SHP assessment provides insights into developmental handwriting trajectories.
• Analysis revealed both alignment and gaps between student progress and assessment expectations.
• Recommendations are provided for updating the SHP to better reflect developmental expectations and improve its utility.