The aim of this study was to analyze whether children with and without difficulties in handwriting, spelling, or both differed in alphabet writing when using a keyboard. The total sample consisted of 1,333 children from Grades 1 through 3. Scores on the spelling and handwriting factors from the Early Grade Writing Assessment (Jiménez, in press) were used to assign the participants to one of four groups with different ability patterns: poor handwriters, poor spellers, a mixed group, and typically achieving students. Groups were equalized by a matching strategy, resulting in a final sample of 352 children. A MANOVA was executed to analyze effects of group and grade on orthographic motor integration (fluency of alphabet writing) and the number of omissions when writing the alphabet (accuracy of alphabet writing) by keyboard writing mode. The results indicated that poor handwriters did not differ from typically achieving children in both variables, whereas the poor spellers did perform below the typical achievers and the poor handwriters. The difficulties of poor handwriters seem to be alleviated by the use of the keyboard; however, children with spelling difficulties might need extra instruction to become fluent keyboard writers.
Abstract:DOES STUDENTS THAT RECEIVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS WITH HIGHER RISK FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES IN WRITING?Nowadays, writing is considered as a complex cognitive process in which several factors are involved that lead to a right writing use in adult age. This process is set up by different sub-processes, between which we can highlight transcription. The transcription skill takes a relevant place in writing acquisition, being of a special importance in the school beginning. If children are imprecise and slow in the transcription process it can lead to a serious setback in to their composition ability and quality. Transcription has a significant effect into the global writing and the academic efficiency in school age even that is considered as a powerful predictor to identify children that are more likely to show severe deficit in the acquisition of writing skills. A discovery that strengthen the importance of identifying writing difficulties as soon as possible. It should be added that nowadays writing teaching at the beginning is focused almost, solely and exclusively, in the most formal text aspects, just like handwriting or legibility, excluding fluency instruction. The current study analyzes the differences in writing fluency and accuracy between children that receive educational support because of their backwardness in the education program and normally achieving children. For this purpose , we selected a sample of 181 normally achieving children and 181 children receiving educational support, belonging to Primary Education and whose ages are in 6 – 9 years old range. Obtained results show that children that receive educational support present a lack of writing fluency and accuracy, problems that without an appropriate instruction could lead in future writing difficulties.Key-words: fluency, accuracy, writing, educational support, transcription, early identification.Resumen:Actualmente la escritura es considerada como un proceso cognitivo complejo en el que intervienen diversos factores que conducen a un correcto uso de la escritura en la edad adulta. Este proceso está formado por distintos subprocesos. Entre ellos cabe destacar la transcripción. La capacidad de transcripción adquiere un papel importante en la adquisición de la escritura, siendo de especial importancia en el inicio de la escolaridad. Si los niños son lentos e inexactos en el proceso de la transcripción conlleva a que su capacidad y calidad compositiva global en la producción de textos se vea gravemente perjudicada. La transcripción tiene un efecto significativo sobre la escritura global y el rendimiento académico de los niños en edad escolar, tanto es así que es considerada como un potente predictor para identificar a niños en riesgo de desarrollar déficits más graves en la escritura. Un hallazgo que refuerza la importancia de identificar las dificultades de escritura tan pronto como sea posible. A esto, hay que añadir que actualmente la enseñanza de la escritura en los primeros años de escolaridad se centra casi única y exclusivamente en los aspectos más formales del texto como la caligrafía o la legibilidad, excluyendo la instrucción en la fluidez. La presente investigación analiza las diferencias entre niños que reciben apoyo educativo por presentar retraso en la adquisición de las competencias del currículo escolar con niños que no lo reciben, considerando la fluidez y la exactitud en la escritura. Para ello se seleccionó una muestra de 181 alumnos que reciben apoyo educativo y 181 alumnos que no lo reciben, pertenecientes a los tres primeros cursos de Educación Primaria y cuyas edades oscilan entre 6 y 9 años. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los niños que reciben apoyo educativo, aún recibiendo este apoyo, presentan mayores carencias en la fluidez y exactitud en la escritura, carencias que sin una apropiada instrucción podrían desembocar en futuras dificultades de aprendizaje en escritura.Palabras-clave: fluidez, exactitud, escritura, apoyo educativo, transcripción, identificación temprana.
Handwriting evolves with the pass of time. The type of script which children begin to learn depends on curriculum in their countries and the educational policy. There are two main types of script: manuscript and cursive. There is a controversial issue about which type of script would be best to use to begin the teaching of handwriting, but has not been a consensus yet. This research analyzes manuscript and cursive script modalities. Our objective was to determine whether there are differences in accuracy and fluency when students are copying the alphabet letters using different types of script (manuscript vs. cursive), and also whether these differences are mediated by the grade (1st, 2nd and 3rd ). A subtest from the test called Early Grade Writing Assessment (EGWA) (Jiménez, 2012) was administered to a sample of children from 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade.Keywords: writing, fluency, accuracy, manuscript letter, cursive letter, cross-sectional study. RESUMENLa escritura evoluciona con el paso del tiempo. El tipo de letra que los niños comienzan a aprender depende del currículo de su país y la política educativa. Hay dos tipos principales de letra:
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.