Use of nonverbal tests to screen for writing dysfluency in school-age children

Writing fluency, the ability to write rapidly and easily, is critical for the timely completion of written assignments in the classroom. Children who possess basic writing skills and have an ability to communicate ideas are often penalized for slowness in completing written tasks. The present study used frequently administered nonverbal tasks to predict performance on the Writing Fluency subtest of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement--Revised for 146 subjects from 6 to 16 years old. A stepwise-regression analysis indicated the Coding subtest of the WISC--R, Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration, the Grooved Pegboard, and gender accounted for 32% of the variance. Logistic regression suggested cut-off scores falling one standard deviation below the mean on Coding and Beery's visuomotor test would signal need for further evaluation of writing dysfluency, particularly for boys.