Handwriting Interventions
There are many reasons young students may have difficulty producing legible handwriting, including an increasing use of technology since very young, deficits in fine motor skill development or even a lack of muscle strength in fingers and hands. Regardless of the cause, OT clinicians can provide handwriting interventions that work for students. Teachers and parents can help maintain these learned skills at school and home.
Research
A recent review on handwriting acquisition and interventions for handwriting, preschoolers-2 grade, indicated the following:
- Writing letters in late preschool contributes to letter recognition.
- Elementary students do better when handwriting is explicitly taught.
- Legibility improves with adequate practice.
- Motor and cognitive learning strategies are effective in improving legibility.
- Remediation of physical, mental or psychological performance deficits was not shown to be effective.
- Handwriting instruction also helps with reading skills
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