Development of an Assessment Battery for Reading and Writing Difficulties in the Second Grade: Should Measures of Handedness Be Included?

Abstract

SUMMARYThis study investigated whether tasks assessing hand preference should be included in an assessment battery for reading and writing difficulties in the second grade. Central to the investigation was the hypothesis that children with different hand preferences will differ in their reading and writing scores. Instruments to measure hand preference and manual dexterity were used in a sample of 350 second-grade schoolchildren (157 boys and 193 girls). along with reading and writing measures. The results tend to show that left-handed children are at risk for reading and writing difficulties. Nevertheless, further research is needed to answer the laterality and literacy question correctly. Our results indicated that hand preference measures should be included in an assessment battery for reading and writing difficulties. It seems reasonable to think about the longitudinal research in future where laterality question will be answered in the context of the development of reading and writing skills and teaching method of reading and writing skills.