In-depth analysis of handwriting curriculum and instruction in four kindergarten classrooms

Abstract

The quality of handwriting curriculum and instructional practices in actual classrooms was investigated in an in-depth case study of four inner city kindergarten classrooms using quantitative and qualitative methods. The handwriting proficiency of students was also evaluated to assess the impact of the instructional practices observed. The findings suggest that even though teachers employ a number of effective strategies, there is room for improvement in implementing effective, research-approved handwriting instruction. In particular, daily, explicit instruction, writing for fluency, writing from memory, and use of selfevaluation are areas that need improvement. Results indicate that the lack of emphasis on these practices impacted the quality of teaching and learning of handwriting skills. Future research is needed on the impact of teacher training, use of an assessment tool that objectively assesses students' handwriting, use of reading and handwriting curriculum that complement and reinforce one another, and the effectiveness of research-based strategies in practice.

Handwriting in early childhood education: Current research and future implications

“…In a national survey, teachers in elementary school reported using commercially available programmes to teach handwriting (Graham et al., 2008). Yet, teachers using these curricula still fail to implement effective, research-approved handwriting instruction strategies (Vander Hart et al., 2010). Teachers fail to devote an adequate amount of time, as recommended, to teaching handwriting, and they limit the extent to which they provide explicit instruction (Vander Hart et al., 2010).…”

Editorial

“…Vander Hart, Fitzpatrick, and Cortesa (2010) reviewed the current literature and identified eight of the most effective, research-based instructional handwriting practices. These included:…”

The role of school desk on the learning of graphic skills in early childhood education in Brazil

“…The difficulties to perform writing and drawing patterns have been also associated with learning problems in general (e.g. Berninger et al 1997 ; Jones and Christensen 1999 ), and for young learners, the problems are also related to letter formation and reading (Graham and Harris 2005 ; Vander Hart et al 2010 ). Bearing in mind that children with handwriting difficulties are prone to have their ability to learn minimized in various dimensions (Coates and Coates 2006 ), the understanding of how children acquire handwriting skills is of a practical value for school teaching.…”