Your Therapy Source Magazine for Pediatric Therapists October 2016 | Page 8

EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH ON WHY STUDENTS
NEED TRADITIONAL HANDWRITING PRACTICE

One of the most common reasons for referral to school based occupational therapy services is
handwriting assessment and treatment. Here are a few references on why students still need
traditional handwriting practice.
The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy published a review of the interventions used to
improve handwriting. After reviewing 11 studies that tested relaxation and practice with or
without EMG, sensory-based training without handwriting practice, and handwriting-based
practice (including sensory-focused or cognitive focused handwriting practice) the researchers
concluded that interventions that did not include handwriting practice and those that
included less than 20 practice sessions were ineffective (Hoy, 2011).
The Journal of Occupational Therapy, School and Early Intervention published a small study
comparing traditional handwriting practice versus iPad handwriting instruction. For the 12
kindergartners and first graders who participated, the results indicated that traditional methods
of handwriting instruction were superior in terms of letter formation and letter orientation
when compared to iPad-mediated practice. In addition, letter recognition increased for those
using traditional handwriting methods but stayed stable for the iPad-mediated group (Wells,
2016).
Educational Psychology Review performed a comprehensive analysis to determine if teaching
handwriting enhanced legibility and fluency and resulted in better writing performance. The
results indicated that when compared to no instruction or non-handwriting instructional
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