There has been a significant amount of research into how children learn handwriting and gradually make it more uniform. Handwriting development in children is a complex process that involves motor skills, cognitive development, and exposure to writing tools and instruction.
Developmental Stages
Handwriting development in children typically follows a sequence of stages. These stages may vary slightly among individuals, but they generally progress from scribbles to controlled letter formation and eventually to fluent and legible handwriting.
Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are crucial for handwriting development. Research has shown that activities such as drawing, colouring, and playing with building blocks can help children develop the manual dexterity needed for writing. (See The development of motor skills for handwriting article)
Letter Formation
Children learn to form letters through repeated practice. Psychomotor planning involves the cognitive aspect of mentally coordinating and organizing the precise sequence of muscle movements required for the accurate formation of each letter. As children continue to practice, their psychomotor planning skills progressively improve, becoming more refined and efficient. Additionally, through repeated practice, the cerebellum, a brain region responsible for fine-tuning motor movements, further develops the precision of these movements.
Letter Case in Context
Researchers have examined the order in which children typically learn to write letters and have developed guidelines for teaching handwriting. Many educational programs begin with teaching uppercase letters before lowercase letters. Write Size adopts a different approach and the reasons for this are described in the article on “Lower Case First" which discusses the need for prevention of use of mixed case letters in handwriting through, the early development of usage patterns.
Handwriting Instruction
Studies have investigated the effectiveness of different handwriting instruction methods. These may include traditional methods involving workbooks and explicit instruction as well as more modern approaches that incorporate technology and digital tools. Research has shown that explicit instruction with a focus on letter formation and spacing can lead to better handwriting outcomes.
Uniformity and Legibility
As children progress in their handwriting development, they generally work towards making their writing more uniform and legible. Achieving uniformity involves consistent letter size, spacing between letters and words, and slant. Legibility refers to the ease with which others can read the writing.
Individual Differences
It is important to note that there are individual differences in how children develop their handwriting skills. Some children may develop neat and uniform handwriting more quickly, while others may struggle with more prolonged handwriting difficulties, such as in dysgraphia. Researchers have studied interventions and strategies to support children with handwriting difficulties. The Write Size method is based on a synthesis of these findings.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Feder, K. P., Majnemer, A., & Synnes, A. (2000). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 42(10), 846-852.
2. Schneck, C. M., & Amundson, S. J. (2010). Handwriting development and assessment: A multidimensional model. Topics in Language Disorders, 30(4), 299-316.
3. Graham, S., & Harris, K. R. (2005). Writing better: Effective strategies for teaching students with learning difficulties. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
4. Berninger, V. W., & Wolf, B. J. (2009). Teaching students with dyslexia and dysgraphia: Lessons from teaching and science. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
5. Puranik, C. S., & Lonigan, C. J. (2011). From scribbles to scrabble: Preschool children's developing knowledge of written language. Reading and Writing, 24(5), 567-589.
6. Graham, S., & Weintraub, N. (1996). A review of handwriting research: Progress and prospects from 1980 to 1994. Educational Psychology Review, 8(1), 7-87.
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