Handwriting Today

Number 17 Autumn 2018 Contents

. Editorial 4 Research Articles 6

Robot Guided ‘Pen Skill’ Training in Children with Motor Difficulties. 7 The Potential of the Pen for Learning. 14 Research Digest 18 The importance of handwriting on the development of the literate brain. 19 The roles of handwriting and keyboarding in writing: a meta-analytic review. 19 Exploring the relationship between letter recognitions and handwriting 20 in early literacy development. Children’s first handwriting productions show a rhythmic structure. 21 Examining the transcription-writing link: effects of handwriting fluency and 22 spelling accuracy on writing performance via planning and translating in middle grades. Writing an independently composed sentence by Spanish-speaking children 23 with and without poor transcription skills: a writing-level match design. Understanding handwriting difficulties: A comparison of children with and 24 without motor impairment. Do children with ASD have difficulty handwriting under time pressure? 24 Comprehension of handwriting development: Pen-grip kinetics in handwriting 25 tasks and its relation to fine motor skills among school-age children. Current Issues 28 Tips for Teaching 34 Handwriting in the Media 40 Review of Resources 46 Conference Reviews 52 Handwriting Today NHA News 58 Journal of the National Handwriting Association Registered Charity No. 1051157 Website: www.nha-handwriting.org.uk Chair: Mellissa Prunty Vice chairs Wendy Cumines, Emma Sumner

Handwriting Today 3 Editorial

With the help of my very skilful sub-editors I am pleased to present the Tribute to Outgoing Chair – Dr Angela Webb 2018 annual journal of the National Handwriting Association. It begins By Catherine Elsey with a tribute to our outgoing Chairman Dr Angela Webb (who we will Many of you will know that Dr Angela Webb is reputation and our members are invited to relevant miss dearly!) and a short overview of what’s next for the NHA where we stepping down as Chair after 12 years serving on the events both in the UK and abroad. hope to continue the fantastic work that Angela has started. NHA Committee. For me, Angela has been pivotal in the purpose of the NHA promoting the importance Closer to home, Angela has served the Committee of the development of good handwriting skills. admirably, leading with a sense of humour that was The Research section, edited by Dr Emma The Review of Resources section is compiled by used to good effect in keeping everyone focussed Sumner presents two research articles that share Laraine Erlanderr-Lawrence with contributions When I joined the committee I was impressed by on the matters in hand. We have all benefited from insights into new technological developments from school teachers. The section presents some how Angela was able to link together academic her knowledge and experience. in the field of handwriting. Now that we are well very nicely presented reviews of products which research, education and therapeutic strategies to Our new Chair is Dr Mellissa Prunty who will and truly in the ‘digital age’ the two articles speak were trialled by teachers and their students. encourage good handwriting skills for everyone. continue to promote the NHA and carry on the to the importance of learning to write by hand She has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to excellent work that Angela has started. and raise thoughtful considerations for practice. Cathy Parvin has summarised some of the main take every opportunity to get the NHA message conferences in the field this year along with guest The Research Digest reviews nine research ‘out there’. As a result of her work and leadership Catherine Elsey contributor Dr Carolyn Dunford. She has provided papers published in 2017 with a specific focus on the NHA organisation has an international Paediatric Occupational Therapist handwriting. her own reflections on the events she attended. The Current Issues section is written by Pam The NHA News section was compiled by Wendy Hulme who offers an insightful review/critique of Cumines, Karen Nichols and Hilary Cook and the Ofted report entitled Reception Curriculum showcases the work of the charity over the in Good and Outstanding Primary Schools: Bold past year and includes Angela’s final report as Message from New Chair – Dr Mellissa Prunty Beginnings. Pam provides an overview of this Chairman. It also provides information on our next Dear Members, Member’s Day in June 2019 and information about report and makes for an interesting and important It is a great privilege to write to you as the new • To develop and launch a new website (2018) read for members who work in early years our upcoming training and events. Chair of the NHA. While I am fully aware of the • To make 10+ CPD courses available online education. I would like to finish by saying a huge thank you large shoes that have been left to fill, I am very (early 2019) excited about the future of the charity. I would The Tips for Teaching section is written by Isabelle to my sub-editors who have produced excellent • To update all of our publications and tip sheets like to acknowledge the inspiring work that Vandevyvere & Birger Destoop from Belgium. sections this year. I am very grateful for their time (early 2019) to be available for download and/or Angela completed during her time as Chair of the Isabelle presented at our member’s day in June and effort. I am also grateful to Karen Nicholas purchase in hard copy format. 2018 and has provided a very interesting section and Wendy Cumines who helped me collect NHA. She steered the charity through numerous on Apps for handwriting. and check the material for this edition. I hope you important initiatives and projects and has made These are our top three priorities for the next 12-15 enjoy it. the charity into the success it is today. On a months which we hope you will be excited about Our Handwriting in the Media section is compiled personal level I have learnt a tremendous amount too. We are also re-designing our face-to-face by Ewan Clayton who has spent the last year Mellissa Prunty – 2018 Editor from Angela over the past few years and I will very courses and will run our first two-day course (with tracking the news for anything handwriting much miss her involvement with the charity. Alas, an optional third day) in spring 2019. related. This year was a busy one for coverage on we will continue to work on NHA specific projects handwriting and Ewan has summarised the main together so she won’t be going too far too soon! We will report on the progress of these initiatives at stories beautifully! the next AGM but until then, do watch out for our Since taking over as Chair in June I have been making new website. I would like to take this opportunity moves towards scaling up our online presence. We to thank you all for your continued support of the are aware that many charities now use the internet as NHA. Here’s to an exciting year ahead. their main shop window and as such we are working on a number of exciting initiatives which we hope will Mellissa be of interest and of value to you. Our main focus for the next year will include the following:

4 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 5 Research Articles

Compiled by Emma Sumner Robot Guided ‘Pen Skill’ Training in Children with Motor Difficulties Katy A. Shire1,2*, Liam J. B. Hill1, Winona Snapp-Childs3, Geoffrey P. Bingham3, Georgios K. As technology develops, new tools and methods are Kountouriotis4, Sally Barber2 & Mark Mon-Williams1 devised to analyse and support the development Abstract. struggle with the mechanics of handwriting have of handwriting skills. The two research articles that Motor and handwriting difficulties are linked to a been shown to have reduced cognitive capacity range of negative physical, social and academic for other cognitive tasks such as generating are presented in this section share insights into new consequences. Robotic interventions have been creative ideas (Medwell et al., 2009). Therefore, it technological developments in the field. shown previously to help children with motor is unsurprising that handwriting has been found problems learn new movements. We therefore to predict academic attainment even at an early examined whether the training benefits of a robotic age (Dinehart, 2015), and manual motor control The first article, by Katy Shire and colleagues, details system would generalise to a standardised test of ability has been found to predict later academic ‘pen-skills’, assessed using objective measures attainment in both reading and mathematics a novel approach to supporting pen skill training in (e.g., the Clinical Kinematic Assessment Tool: (Cameron et al., 2012; Dinehart & Manfra, 2013; children with motor difficulties; using a robotic arm to CKAT). A counterbalanced, cross-over design Grissmer, Grimm, Aiyer, Murrah, & Steele, 2010; was used in a group of 51 children (37 male, Roebers et al., 2014). It is clearly important to guide pen movements. aged 5–11 years) with manual control difficulties. find ways of supporting children with motor and Improved performance on a novel task using handwriting difficulties in order to help them realise their academic potential. In the second study, Audrey van der Meer and the robotic device could be attributed to the intervention. However, there was no evidence Using robotic devices to support the learning of Ruud van der Weel discuss findings from adults that of generalisation to any of the CKAT tasks. The movements has shown increasing promise in the robotic system appears to have the potential to field of rehabilitation medicine (Reinkensmeyer & demonstrate the brain regions that are associated support motor learning. However, the training Patton, 2009; Williams & Carnahan, 2014). Robotic with using a pen, in comparison to those associated regime may need to target particular manual skills interventions have a number of advantages (e.g., letter formation) in order to obtain clinically over traditional approaches. The ‘dosage’ of the with typing. significant improvements in specific skills such as intervention can be strictly controlled, meaning handwriting. each child can receive the same therapeutic experience, a single supervisor can provide Together, the two research articles emphasise 1. Introduction guided treatment to a group of children at once, the importance of learning to handwrite and raise Children in primary school spend a lot of their time rather than on a one-to-one basis, and therapy acquiring and deploying manual motor skills, with can be embedded within computer games thoughtful considerations for practice. the most obvious example found in the action of that children enjoy, find motivating and are handwriting. Handwriting involves a number of non-stigmatising. These interventions work by underlying motor control processes such as being providing support to the participant when they are able to accurately apply forces to the pen in order learning a movement. For example, by increasing to move it across the page (Smits-Engelsman, resistance when the user moves away from a Niemeijer, & van Galen, 2001). Children that defined spatial path. Whilst too much assistance

1 School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom 2 Bradford Institute of Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Bradford, United Kingdom 3 Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Indiana, United States of America 4 Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

Handwriting Today 7 Research Articles (continued)

may actually hinder learning for healthy individuals, rather than natural improvement due to practice Novel robotic arm task. Using the same robotic time point, giving a measure of how accurately for individuals with disabilities or difficulties with effects, and whether there was evidence of system as during training, participants were they were able to keep their pen on the moving movement these systems do show real potential generalisation of the benefits of training to an tested on a single novel path (not presented target. For the aiming task, median movement (Holt et al., 2013; Kwakkel, Kollen, & Krebs, 2007; objective measure of pen-skills. during training) across twelve consecutive trials time in seconds (MT) was calculated across all of Lo et al., 2010). (starting at the highest spring stiffness and then the aiming movements, giving a measure of how 2. Method decreasing every two trials). The outcome variable well they were able to make a rapid movement to On this basis, Snapp-Childs, Mon-Williams, et for these trials was the median time (in seconds) to a specific location on the screen. For the tracing 2.1 Participants al. (2013) designed a robotic intervention system complete the paths. task, a penalised path accuracy (pPA) score for training fine motor skills. The participant 51 children (34 male) aged 5-11 years old from was calculated to give a composite measure uses a stylus attached to the robotic device to a primary school in Bradford took part in the CKAT. In order to assess pen skills, participants of performance reflecting both the speed and push a cartoon fish along a 3-D path as quickly intervention. These children had all: a) been were tested on the CKAT battery, which consisted accuracy demands of this specific task. This gives as possible. The robotic arm assists them in identified by their class teacher as having of three tasks (tracking: following a dot moving a score that reflects how well they are able to make making the correct movements by providing ‘handwriting difficulties’ and b) scored under the in a figure-8 type loop; aiming: moving between steering movements along the path with the pen, resistance when they move away from the 15th percentile (indicating probable difficulties) on a series of dots as fast as possible; and tracing: whilst ensuring that they do not gain a higher score ‘correct’ path (feeling to the participant like a the manual dexterity component of the Movement drawing along a path whilst keeping between by being extremely slow in their movements to gain magnetic pull). Initial studies showed that training Assessment Battery for Children, second edition the lines, and also whilst trying to keep to a fixed greater accuracy, or if their movement is very quick using the robotic arm could reduce differences in (MABC-2) (Henderson, Sugden, & Barnett, 2007). speed), all performed with a stylus on a tablet but very inaccurate. performance between children with and without Ethical approval was granted by the University of computer (Culmer et al., 2009). One outcome clinical movement difficulties (Snapp-Childs et al., Leeds Ethics and Research committee. measure for each task was investigated, all of 2.3 Procedure 2013), and of different ages (Snapp-Childs et al., which have previously been shown to be sensitive A crossover design was used in this study, with 2.2. Materials 2015). There was also some evidence for training to manipulations in task-difficulty, age and gender the children being split into two groups (A and benefits transferring to a different task, with 2.2.1 Training in 4 to 11 year olds (Flatters, Hill, Williams, Barber, & B), counterbalanced for age. Group A completed children performing better on a digital tablet-based The robotic system used in this experiment was Mon-Williams, 2014). For the tracking task, average the training in the first time period of five weeks, drawing task post-haptic training (Snapp-Childs et the same as that used in the previous studies root mean square error (RMSE) was calculated as followed by a break of three weeks over the al., 2014). This raises the possibility that the system (see Snapp-Childs et al., 2013) and consisted of a the straight-line distance between the centre of the school holiday. Group B then took part in the could be used to target improving pen skills, and stylus attached to a robotic device; the PHANTOM target and the tip of the stylus at each sampled training over the second time period of five weeks. subsequently handwriting. Omni (Sensable Technologies, Inc.). During the training, the participant used the stylus to push The current study set out to investigate whether a fish around 5 different paths shaped like three- training on the robotic arm system could result in dimensional knots which were shown on the improvement on a measure of manual ‘pen-skills’ computer screen (Figure 1), whilst racing against - the Clinical Kinematic Assessment Tool (CKAT), a computer-controlled ‘competitor’ fish. As they which provides detailed feedback on movement moved the stylus away from the intended path, performance comparable to laboratory motion a virtually modelled spring pulled the stylus back capture systems (Culmer, Levesley, Mon-Williams, on to the nearest point of the path (feeling to the & Williams, 2009). It therefore makes an ideal participant like a ‘magnetic pull’ to the path). assessment to test whether training benefits are able to generalise to the manual skills that directly Once the participant completed all five paths they underpin handwriting. By using a counterbalanced started from Path 1 again, but with the stiffness crossover design (where the children were split of the spring helping them to stay on the correct into two equivalent groups, with half taking part path reduced to make the task more difficult (i.e. in the intervention first while the other group did feeling like a less powerful magnetic pull). no intervention, and then swapping over), for the first time it is was possible to directly investigate 2.2.2 Outcome measures whether post-training benefits on the robotic arm Participants completed the following assessments tasks were directly attributable to the training before and after training and a control period: Figure 1. Set-up of the robotic arm system. The child traces around a 3-D path (a) represented on the laptop screen, using the pen attached to the robotic device (b)

8 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 9 Research Articles (continued)

The training period consisted of one 20 minute Initial checks using independent t-tests revealed after training was significantly better then Group eliminated after Group B had also completed the long session each week for five weeks. Children that baseline scores on the outcome measures B at P1 (p < .01), but after Group B received the intervention in the second time period. were brought out of class in groups of five to sit in did not differ between the two intervention groups intervention at P2, this difference vanished a quiet, otherwise unused classroom, under the on the robotic arm novel task t(1, 47) = 1.30, (p = .95). Therefore, there was a boost in Secondly, we aimed to examine whether there supervision of two researchers. The children were p = .20, or the CKAT tasks: tracking t(1, 48) = .27, performance for each group after completing the was any evidence of the benefits generalising allowed to progress at their own rate through the p = .79; aiming t(1, 40) = 0.11, p =. 91; and tracing intervention, on top of any natural development. to the CKAT – an objective, computerised training blocks. This followed the same procedure t(1, 49) = 0.43, p = .67. measure of manual ‘pen-skill’ ability. No evidence as that used in previous studies assessing the 3.2 CKAT of improvement directly attributable to the system (Snapp-Childs et al., 2015, 2013). 3.1 Novel robotic arm task We then examined whether completing the intervention was found. It is always difficult to A mixed 2 x 4 analysis of variance (ANOVA) was intervention program had any far transfer effects interpret a null-effect, and part of the difficulty in All participants completed the battery of conducted, with intervention group as a between- to the CKAT. For the tracking task, there was no establishing an effect may be due to the huge assessments before and after each time period subjects factor (Group A (received intervention in main effect of time F(3, 129) = .95, p = .42, amount of variability in the data (consistent with (baseline 1 (B1), post-test 1 (P1), baseline 2 (B2), the fact that all of these children had motor Time 1) or Group B (received intervention in Time лp2 = .02, no main effect of group F(1, 43) = 2.16, post-test 2 (P2)). problems), which in a small sample may have 2)), and time period entered as the within-subject p = .15, лp2 = .05, or any interaction between masked any group-level effects. Our initial hope factor (baseline 1 (B1), post-test 1 (P1), baseline 2 time and group F(3,129) = .72, p = .54, лp2 = .02. 3. Results (B2) or post-test 2 (P2)). For the aiming task, there was a significant main was that a more generalised intervention might enable benefits to be extrapolated to a number of There were some missing data due to recording effect of time F(3, 63) = 2.96, p =.04, лp2 = .12, There was a significant main effect of time related tasks (for example, handwriting). However, errors; participants needed to have valid data but no significant main effect of group F(1, 21) = F(3, 117) = 119.10, p < .01, p2 = .75 and group the current findings argue for increased caution at all four time points in order to be included in л .67, p = .42, лp2 = .02, or interaction F(3, 63) = F(1, 39) = 33.79, p < .01, p2 = .46, as well as a when considering whether the intervention, as it the analysis for each test. In order to make the л .40, p = .76, лp2 = .02. For the tracing task there significant interaction between time and group currently stands, can be used to improve manual outcome variables normally distributed and allow was a significant main effect of time F(3, 135) F(1, 117) = 20.50, p < .01, p2 = .34 (Figure 2). coordination more generally. parametric statistical tests to be performed, л = 2.86, p =.04, л = .06, but no significant main This demonstrated that Group A’s performance effect of group F(1, 45) = .82, p = .37, p2 = .02, scores were reciprocally transformed. л It may be the case that it was some aspect of or interaction F(3, 135) = .49, p = .69, p2 = .01. л the CKAT tasks themselves which prevented This meant that there was no improvement on generalisability of the training benefits being seen; any of the CKAT pen skills tasks that could be whilst the CKAT tasks all involved ‘pen-skills’, the attributable to the robotic arm training. CKAT tasks also involved skills such as moving under forced time constraints, which may mask 4. Discussion any improvements in the control mechanisms This study aimed to examine whether the targeted by the robotic arm system. Alternatively, it training benefits of an intervention delivered may be that the actual tasks performed during the using a robotic-arm system would generalise intervention need to be tailored to target specific to improvement on an objective assessment of skills such as handwriting. The robotic arm training pen-skills. We first confirmed through the use of a involved moving in three dimensions which meant counterbalanced, crossover design that increases that movements involved the whole arm, as in performance on the novel task using the robotic opposed to normal pen movement which involves arm system were directly attributable to the mainly the wrist. There is evidence that learning to intervention, something that was not possible in control a curser through movements that involved previous studies (Snapp-Childs et al., 2015, 2014, the arm interfered with performing the same task 2013). Group A (who completed the intervention through movements using the wrist (Krakauer, in the first time period) showed significantly more Mazzoni, Ghazizadeh, Ravindran, & Shadmehr, improvement at the first post-test than Group B, 2006). Therefore, the training may also need to who undertook no additional manual coordination take place on a 2-D, horizontal plane. Likewise, training during this time. This large difference in the specific movement patterns involved in Figure 2. Reciprocal average time in seconds (larger score = better performance) to complete all paths on novel robotic arm performance between the two groups was only handwriting might need to be targeted for optimal task (with standard error bars) for each group at each time point.

10 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 11 Research Articles (continued)

intervention – for example, getting the participants References Holt, R. J., Weightman, A., Gallagher, J., Preston, Smits-Engelsman, B. C. M., Niemeijer, A. S., & to write letters and words, but with the active Cameron, C. E., Brock, L. L., Murrah, W. M., Bell, N., Levesley, M. C., Mon-Williams, M., & Bhakta, B. van Galen, G. P. (2001). Fine motor deficiencies support of the robotic device. L. H., Worzalla, S. L., Grissmer, D., & Morrison, F. (2013). A System in the Wild: Deploying a Two Player in children diagnosed as DCD based on poor Arm Rehabilitation System for Children with Cerebral grapho-motor ability. Human Movement Science, The system was easily deployed within the J. (2012). Fine Motor Skills and Executive Function Both Contribute to Kindergarten Achievement. Palsy in a School Environment. Journal of Usability 20(1-2), 161–182. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0167- school environment and was regarded positively Studies, 8(4), 111–126. Retrieved from http://dl.acm. 9457(01)00033-1Snapp-Childs, W., Fath, A. J., by teachers and children. Currently, the training Child Development, 83(4), 1229–1244. http://doi. org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01768.x org/citation.cfm?id=2817919.2817922 Watson, C. A., Flatters, I., Mon-Williams, M., & relied on the use of existing robotic devices Bingham, G. P. (2015). Training to improve manual Krakauer, J. W., Mazzoni, P., Ghazizadeh, reprogrammed to run the intervention games, and Culmer, P. R., Levesley, M. C., Mon-Williams, M., & control in 7–8 and 10–12year old children: Training A., Ravindran, R., & Shadmehr, R. (2006). therefore would be expensive for mass distribution Williams, J. H. G. (2009). A new tool for assessing eliminates performance differences between ages. Generalization of Motor Learning Depends on the to schools. However, if the training regime could human movement: The Kinematic Assessment Tool. Human Movement Science, 43, 90–99. http://doi. History of Prior Action. PLoS Biology, 4(10), 1798– be altered to be of benefit for these children, Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 184(1), 184–192. org/10.1016/j.humov.2015.07.006 then it would be possible to develop cheaper http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2009.07.025 1808. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0040316 Snapp-Childs, W., Flatters, I., Fath, A. J., Mon- devices. It is worth noting that even the current Kwakkel, G., Kollen, B. J., & Krebs, H. I. (2007). Dinehart, L. H. (2015). Handwriting in early childhood Williams, M., & Bingham, G. P. (2014). Training price of these robotic systems makes delivery of Effects of Robot-Assisted Therapy on Upper Limb education: Current research and future implications. Compliance Control Yields Improvements in Drawing this intervention (with multiple children receiving Recovery After Stroke: A Systematic Review. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 15(1), 97–118. as a Function of Beery Scores. PLoS ONE, 9(3), therapy at the same time) potentially more cost Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 22(2), 111–121. http://doi.org/10.1177/1468798414522825 e92464. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0092464 effective than providing one-to-one specialised http://doi.org/10.1177/1545968307305457 help, if they could be further developed and Dinehart, L. H., & Manfra, L. (2013). Associations Snapp-Childs, W., Mon-Williams, M., & Bingham, Lo, A. C., Guarino, P. D., Richards, L. G., tested to demonstrate improvements in fine motor Between Low-Income Children’s Fine Motor Skills in G. P. (2013). A Sensorimotor Approach to the Haselkorn, J. K., Wittenberg, G. F., Federman, D. pen skill. We should emphasise that though the Preschool and Academic Performance in Second Training of Manual Actions in Children With G., Peduzzi, P. (2010). Robot-Assisted Therapy for current study used researchers to supervise the Grade. Early Education & Development, 24(2), 138– Developmental Coordination Disorder. Journal Long-Term Upper-Limb Impairment after Stroke. intervention, there were no obvious reasons why 161. http://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2011.636729 of Child Neurology, 28(2), 204–212. http://doi. New England Journal of Medicine, 362(19), 1772– teaching staff could not have undertaken this Flatters, I., Hill, L. J. B., Williams, J. H. G., org/10.1177/0883073812461945 responsibility (and might even be better in this role 1783. http://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0911341 Barber, S. E., & Mon-Williams, M. (2014). Manual Williams, C. K., & Carnahan, H. (2014). Motor given their experience of working with children Reinkensmeyer, D. J., & Patton, J. L. (2009). Control Age and Sex Differences in 4 to 11 Year Learning Perspectives on Haptic Training for from an educational perspective). Can Robots Help the Learning of Skilled Actions? Old Children. PLoS ONE, 9(2), e88692. http://doi. the Upper Extremities. IEEE Transactions on Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 37(1), 43–51. In conclusion, this experiment has shown, using org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088692 Haptics, 7(2), 240–250. http://doi.org/10.1109/ http://doi.org/10.1097/JES.0b013e3181912108 a strong methodological design, that the robotic Grissmer, D., Grimm, K. J., Aiyer, S. M., Murrah, TOH.2013.2297102 arm system is effective at training manual skills in W. M., & Steele, J. S. (2010). Fine motor skills and Roebers, C. M., Röthlisberger, M., a wide age range of children with motor difficulties. early comprehension of the world: Two new school Neuenschwander, R., Cimeli, P., Michel, E., & However, no generalisation of benefit was found readiness indicators. Developmental Psychology, Jäger, K. (2014). 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12 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 13 Research Articles (continued)

tablet with a digital pen (e.g., “family”, “hedgehog”, even if young children will be able to express The Potential of the Pen for Learning and “forest”). EEG data was carefully filtered and themselves earlier using a keyboard, we do not Audrey van der Meer & Ruud van der Weel* displayed to examine brain activity during each know how this affects their learning in the long experimental condition. term since their brains are not properly challenged in a way that seems to facilitate learning. Abstract. involving shallow encoding; (b) describing visual 3. Main results Are different parts of the brain active when words on a keyboard involving deep encoding; and Concerns around replacing the pen with we type on a keyboard as opposed to (c) drawing visual words on a tablet with a stylus We discovered that drawing activates more brain computers does not mean that everything was when we draw visual images on a tablet? involving deep encoding. We investigated which areas associated with learning, compared to better before and that computers should be Electroencephalography (EEG) was used in young parts of the brain were active during these three typing on a keyboard. Drawing and handwriting banned from the classroom environment. We are adults to study brain electrical activity as they were conditions and how the different parts of the brain are complex skills that share a wide variety of living in a digital age, and computers are here to typing, describing visually presented words using were communicating with each other. movement patterns (e.g., Penketh, 2011) and thus stay. One solution would be to combine modern a keyboard, or as they were drawing pictures of it can be argued that, as with drawing, handwriting digital learning tools with the brain’s natural the same words on a tablet using a stylus. Results 2. Experiment details may be more beneficial to learning than typing is. advantages. The brain evolved, not to think or feel, When the participants were drawing the target showed that when drawing, large areas in the Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to but to control movement (Wolpert, 2011). A digital word, we registered desynchronized neuronal parietal and occipital regions showed neuronal investigate what happens in the brain when typing pen provides the best of both worlds, as it uses oscillations in the occipital and parietal areas of oscillatory activity. Existing literature suggests that on a keyboard versus drawing on a tablet with the brain’s specialisation to control movements the brain where the visual cortex is located. Many such activity is used by the brain to communicate a digital pen. We investigated the brain activity whilst allowing notes to be saved and stored desynchronized neuronal oscillations indicate between different areas, providing the brain with of 20 Norwegian University students (aged 21- electronically all in one place. As we have shown active communication between larger neuronal optimal conditions for learning. 25 years) wearing an EEG-net consisting of 256 in our experiment, when using a digital pen while networks, and research has shown that such electrodes. The students played the classic board making notes, the large learning areas in the brain oscillations suggest that the brain is in a state game PictionaryTM where 20 different words are activated by combining fine motor skills and 1. Varied hand movements and sensory where it is more susceptible to learning and were presented visually and at random. While perceptual skills (Van der Meer & Van der Weel, experiences encourage learning remembering (Pfurtscheller, 1992; Pfurtscheller registering their brain activity, the participants were 2017). This makes it easier for us to remember Humans have evolved to use their bodies and all & Lopes da Silva, 1999). However, when using a instructed to either type the word on the keyboard and improves the brain’s potential for learning. of their senses. That is why our brains have large keyboard, whether it was to type or describe the using one finger, type a written description of the areas dedicated to the senses and perceptual word, we did not observe the same oscillations. word using the keyboard, or draw the word on a 5. Sharp pencil, sharp mind systems, sensory integration, and motor control Instead, we registered some short-term activity (Wolpert, 2011). Drawing by hand and typing on lasting about 2-3 seconds in the frontal lobe, but As soon as movements are involved, more senses a keyboard are very different perceptuo-motor only related to giving a written description of the and thus more brain areas are activated. Using skills, and the brain responds differently to these word. This activity could therefore be a sign of the a pen or a pencil demands varied and carefully two tasks. Using a pen stimulates the senses and creative thinking that occurs when trying to come controlled hand movements, as well as diverse requires many different movements. Drawing and up with the best way to describe a given word. sensory experiences. Our findings show that writing by hand involve a variety of intricate hand this puts the brain in a state where it is easier for us to remember and learn. A clear implication and finger movements that are different for every 4. Doing children a disservice letter produced, whereas typing on a keyboard of our brain research is that we should not stop Computers are increasingly more common in involves repeating the same finger movement over teaching children how to write by hand. This is not schools. In Finland, pupils starting primary school and over, irrespective of the letter typed. to say that we should only use pen and paper in no longer learn to write by hand anymore, but the classroom. Using a keyboard to write longer The aim of this study was to investigate instead focus on typing on a keyboard from day texts is beneficial in many cases, for instance electrophysiological differences underlying traditional one, and Norwegian schools are following suit. when writing an extended essay. However, if (keyboard) and more modern (stylus technology) The idea is that children will be able to express the expectation is for children or students to writing. We used three different experimental themselves in writing earlier on, without having remember what has been said, and to maximize conditions: (a) typing visual words on a keyboard to spend time and effort to learn how to produce learning outcomes, handwritten notes are letters on paper by hand. However, we strongly preferable. *Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NORWAY believe we are doing our children a disservice; Contact email: [email protected] & [email protected]

14 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 15 .uk

.uk www.stabilo.co.uk.uk

Research Articles (continued)

In sum, our findings demonstrate that drawing References (using a pen) activates larger neural networks Penketh, C. (2011). Studies in Inclusive Education; than typing does, and the brain communicates A Clumsy Encounter: Dyspraxia and Drawing. between the different areas using a large number Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. of neurons oscillating in a desynchronized fashion. In this state, the brain is thought to be more Pfurtscheller, G. (1992). Event-related susceptible to learning and remembering. These synchronization (ERS): An electrophysiological findings emphasise the importance of continuing correlate of cortical areas at rest. to use a pen or pencil in an education setting. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 83, 62-69. Future research could further explore brain activity in early developmental phases as children begin Pfurtscheller, G., & Lopes da Silva, F. H. to master fine motor control of a writing utensil to (1999). Event-related EEG/MEG synchronization determine whether age-related changes occur. and desynchronization: Basic principles. Clin. Neurophysiol. 110, 1842-1857. This research is published in the Educational Psychology section of “Frontiers in Psychology” Van der Meer, A. L. H. & Van der Weel, F. R. (2017). Only three fingers write, but the whole Handwriting pens (2017) and can be accessed here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ brain works: A high-density EEG study showing fpsyg.2017.00706/full advantages of drawing over typing for learning. Frontiers in Psychology (Educational section), 706. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00706 and pencils Wolpert, D. (2011). The real reason for brains. TEDGlobal. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/ The STABILO EASYstart range were the talks/daniel_wolpert_the_real_reason_for_brains. first pens and pencils specifically designed by scientists for left and right handers. Our ergonomic design focuses on comfort which helps to reduce tiredness in the hand and also encourages the recommended dynamic tripod grip.

Researcher couple Ruud van der Weel and Audrey van Supported by the der Meer from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU Trondheim).

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A * p s p r *In UK user trials 95% of teachers approved the use of EASYgraph r e pencils and EASYoriginal pens in their schools. ov ch ed tea 16 Handwriting Today by UK Research Digest

Compiled by Emma Sumner, with contributions from Olivia James, K. H. (2017). The importance of copying the symbols freehand, or tracing handwriting on the development of the handwritten examples. Results revealed that Alfonso and Lynsey O’Rourke. literate brain. children’s ability to categorise the Greek symbols improved when they traced, copied or visually Current Directions in Psychological Science, studied the handwritten symbols. Although this 26(6), 502-508 Here we present a series of reviews of research finding confirms that being exposed to variable In this review article, the author discusses examples improves the ability to categorize letters, papers published in 2017 that had a specific evidence obtained with functional magnetic a study conducted with fMRI with 6-year-old resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the cause children showed that only when these variable focus on handwriting. Nine studies were selected of the increasingly accepted fact that handwriting forms were self-generated was the brain network for review based on their potential interest to experience improves the ability to recognise involved in letter recognition activated. letters in a way that keyboarding experience In sum, it seems that seeing and producing our Handwriting Today readers, along with three does not. Specifically, James discusses the variable exemplars of letters improves subsequent additional references at the end of this section that idea that this advantage may be due to the fact letter categorisation, but neuroimaging evidence that handwriting practice contributes to creating seems to suggest that these exemplars have to be may be of further interest to some readers. The first a network including both sensory (visual) and self-generated to contribute to the development motor brain systems that would be involved not of a brain network also dedicated to reading three articles continue to push forward the argument only in handwriting but also during visual letter processes. Thus, it seems that training by that handwriting is still relevant in this digital age processing. handwriting produces greater results on letter In one of the studies described, 4-year-old children learning than keyboarding or tracing in the early and they present interesting findings related to the were trained to learn letters following two different years. benefits of putting pen to paper for letter learning in methods. In one method, children heard and said the letter names, while in the other children printed the early development stages. the letters. After 4 weeks of training, children Feng, L., Lindner, A., Ji, X. R., & Joshi, R. in the printing method showed letter-specific M. (2017). The roles of handwriting and We also include articles that have investigated brain activation that was not present before the keyboarding in writing: a meta-analytic training (before training, children’s brain activation review. how handwriting skills develop and the relationship was similar for these letters and non-linguistic Reading and Writing, DOI: 10.1007/s11145-017- shapes). This finding indicates that printing the 9749-x. between handwriting and spelling, as well as with letters helped to create a network that could the quality of written work produced. Moreover, later contribute to develop reading. Interestingly, Several studies have found an association a similar study demonstrated that this distinctive between handwriting (both fluency and legibility) research related to profiling handwriting performance brain activation for letters was not observed when and writing quality. However, the relationship children were trained by producing the letters in a between keyboarding proficiency and writing has in groups of children that are known to have keyboard or by tracing the letters. These results not been systematically studied. In this paper, the handwriting difficulties (children with dysgraphia, with suggest that the main requirement to create this impact of handwriting fluency on compositional specific network was the fact that generation of writing was explored, as well as the factors that developmental coordination disorder, and those with different exemplars of a given letter, which would may mediate this influence. Additionally, the facilitate learning its shape. A study conducted relationship between handwriting and keyboarding autism spectrum disorders) is presented; and the with 5-year-old children seems to further support skills was addressed. final article considers pen grip kinetics in children, an this idea. Children were asked to learn letters from the Greek alphabet (unknown to them) by seeing In Study 1, a meta-analyses of studies measuring area of study that is often debated in practice. typed examples, copying typed examples, tracing handwriting fluency and compositional writing in typing examples, seeing handwritten examples, children was conducted. A meta-analysis requires reviewing the existing literature on this topic.

18 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 19 Research Digest (continued)

Analyses considered the influence of the type of modes make a comparable contribution to writing using 22 pseudo-letters made up of the same Pagliarini, E., Scocchia, L., Vernice, M., handwriting measure (letter, word or sentence quality, so both handwriting and keyboarding skills critical features identified in the previous task. Zoppello, M., Balottin, U., Bouamama, level), participants’ grade level (1 to 6), the writing should be developed by students. Letters were presented one at a time on pieces S., Guasti, M. T., & Stucchi, N. (2017). genre (narrative or expository), the writing measure of card for participant to copy using a pencil and considered (writing quality, writing fluency, paper with no time limit. Production was scored as Children’s first handwriting productions substantive quality, spelling and complexity) and Reutzel, P., Mohr, K.A, & Jones, C. (2017). the number of correctly produced pseudo-letters show a rhythmic structure. the orthography studied (English or non-English). Exploring the relationship between letter per minute. Scientific Reports, 7:5516, Doi:10.103/s41598- The idea was to investigate if any of these factors 017-05105-6 recognitions and handwriting in early Results showed that letter writing fluency positively modulated the relationship between handwriting literacy development. fluency and writing composition. A total of 19 correlated with letter naming fluency, with This study explored relationships between speed studies were analysed. A strong association Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 1-26. recognising and manipulating critical features, and movement trajectories during handwriting and with the ability to write critical features. production. In particular, the velocity of movement between handwriting fluency and writing was Young children learn to recognise letters before observed. This relationship was not affected by These findings of significant correlations indicate and trajectory which, in this case, is the distance learning how to form them. Feature detection that better performance in letter writing fluency covered by the pen to produce a whole letter the writing measure, the handwriting measure, theories propose that recognising letters requires participants’ grade level, the writing genre or the resulted in better performance in the remaining were measured to investigate two principles of detection of distinctive features. Critical features three tasks. Recognising and manipulating writing. The first, homothety, which suggests orthography; thus, the relationship was consistent of letters include terminations, intersections, and in all cases. critical features and writing critical features also that the ratio of letter duration (seconds) to word horizontals. Reutzel and colleagues hypothesised correlated with each other. Linear regression duration remains constant. The second, isochrony, In Study 2, existing studies that have reported that the ability to recognise and manipulate analysis showed letter naming accounted for 40% suggests that the speed of movement (velocity, measures of keyboarding and handwriting were critical features of letters, the ability to write critical of variance, and recognition accounted for 20% cm per second) is proportional to the length of included in a new meta-analysis to investigate if features, and the ability to name letters fluently, of variance, in letter writing fluency. Again, this trajectory (cm). It was expected that the handwriting the two writing modes differed in their relationship would predict variance in letter writing fluency. demonstrates a strong link between tasks. The of beginner writers would demonstrate homothety with writing quality. Measures of fluency (e.g., Participants were 48 children (23 boys, 25 girls) number of accurately produced pseudo-letters did and isochrony, with no developmental variation the correct number of handwritten/typed letters from six kindergarten classrooms in a western US not, however, predict letter writing fluency. from more experienced writers. within a given time period), speed (number state. Children took part in four tasks to measure of handwritten/typed letters within a minute) The authors suggest that letter naming and ability The sample comprised 298 monolingual Italian letter knowledge over a two week period. The to recognise and manipulate critical features of primary school children from Grades 1-5 (UK and accuracy (number of correct characters tasks were as follows. (1) Letter writing fluency produced) were considered in the analyses. letters should be a part of early literacy instruction. equivalent Years 2-6). All children wrote on paper was measured as the number of recognisable Mastering this ability requires guidance and placed over a digitizing tablet. To compare effects Results revealed that handwriting and keyboarding lower-case letters produced in one minute: fluency and speed were related, but handwriting as children were engaged in the letter building of handwriting size and speed, children were alphabet writing. (2) Letters naming fluency was task, this could be a useful task for developing instructed to write the word burle (jokes) in large, and keyboarding accuracy was not. Moreover, measured as the number of letters correctly both handwriting and keyboarding fluency were recognition and manipulation of critical features small, fast, slow or spontaneous (normal) writing named from a single sheet of mixed capital and of letters. This activity builds knowledge of letter in both capitals and cursive scripts. Thus, each related to writing quality and writing fluency. lower-case letters that were arranged in a random It was also observed that more letters were shapes and can be taught alongside letter names child produced 10 words in total. The word burle (not alphabetical) order, in one minute. (3) Ability and sounds, furthermore tracing of correctly built was selected because it tends to be written as a produced under the keyboarding mode. Several to recognise and manipulate critical features important conclusions can be extracted from this letters would encourage motor skills. Importantly, smooth continuous line in cursive script. was measured using a researcher designed authors suggest that the present findings confirm study. First, it seems that both handwriting and experiment. Children were provided with 8 To check for homothety, data was divided per keyboarding skills contribute to compositional that instructional time is better spent on critical critical letter features (e.g., cardboard cut-outs of features of real letters, not pseudo letters. Of letter and performance was compared across year writing. Second, the influence of handwriting a straight line, short hook, closed curve, etc) to groups. Children tended to write too small in both and keyboarding on writing is strong and robust, note, this is a correlational study which looked at build a selection of 17 lower case letters, (h, z, f, relationships between handwriting tasks at one small and slow conditions for the resolution of the as it is not affected by the measure considered, x, p, w, s, j, r, t, q, e, c, a, k, m, o) one at a time, digitizing tablet to allow segmentation of letters for the grade level or the writing genre. Moreover, time point, the findings do not explore the effects presented in a random order for each participant. of specific instruction on handwritten outcomes. analysis. Only spontaneous, big and fast conditions handwriting and keyboarding fluency are highly Each construction was scored for accuracy and were segmented analysed. There was no correlated, although more letters can be produced Future research would benefit from such an time taken. (4) Ability to write critical features was approach. significant difference for the ratio of letter duration by keyboarding. Altogether, it seems that both measured with a pseudo-letter production task to whole word duration between spontaneous and

20 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 21 Research Digest (continued)

big writing, supporting the principle of homothety. and handwriting. During writing acquisition, proposed model. Because the proposed model and a control group of younger children with the However, changing speed (between spontaneous transcribing is highly demanding, and it may was the most parsimonious, it was accepted. It same writing level (WL; n = 31) as the PTS group. and fast writing), altered the ratio of letter duration leave little cognitive resources for higher-level can be concluded that better writing performance Children in the PTS group and the CA group were to whole word duration, especially for letters b, u, writing processes such as text planning or is associated with better planning and better in Grade 3 (UK equivalent Year 4) and children in r, thus homothety was violated to some extent by translating (i.e., converting ideas into language). translating skills. Interestingly, handwriting the WL group were in Grade 1 (UK equivalent Year handwriting speed. Thus, handwriting fluency and spelling accuracy fluency contributes to writing performance 2). Participants completed a series of dictated may exert an influence on writing performance through its relationship with planning skills, while spelling tasks as well as a sentence composition To investigate isochrony, the trajectory and both directly or indirectly, via their impact on spelling accuracy contribution is mediated by task. In this task, children were invited to write two velocity data from all written words (2980 pairs planning and translating. In this study, a model its association to translating. However, neither sentences related to the content of a conversation of data) were analysed. Data showed a strong of the relationship between handwriting fluency, handwriting fluency nor spelling accuracy had a held with the experimenter about the student’s positive correlation between trajectory and velocity spelling accuracy, planning, translating and direct influence in writing performance. This study interests and favourite games. Three measures across all ages and conditions. When producing writing performance is proposed. Based on the shows that achieving greater spelling accuracy of productivity were calculated: total number of longer strokes (trajectory), writing speed (velocity) previous literature, in the proposed model it was and higher handwriting fluency allows writers words produced, total number of words spelled increases, showing faster movements in larger hypothesised that handwriting fluency and spelling to have more resources available to dedicate to correctly, and total number of incorrect words writing and slower movement in smaller writing, accuracy would be correlated, meaning that ideas generation and organisation (planning) and (spelling or syntactic errors). Moreover, additional demonstrating isochrony. higher handwriting fluency would be associated its expression in a linguistic message (translating), measures of accuracy, speed (words per second), This investigation is the first to provide evidence to higher spelling accuracy. These two factors thus contributing to the production of higher- fluency (correct words per second), syntactic of first grade children maintaining temporal were considered separately (rather than a single quality texts. complexity and the quality of the sentence (scored relationships in handwriting despite changes in size transcription factor) to elucidate whether or not on a scale of 1-10) were considered. they had a differential impact on higher-level and speed. Due to the lack of a difference across Statistical analyses revealed that there were grades, authors suggest that the data shows that writing processes. Additionally, it was predicted García, E., Crespo, P., & Bermúdez, that handwriting fluency and spelling accuracy I. (2017). Writing an independently differences between both groups of children homothety and isochrony are inherent principles of without transcription difficulties (i.e., between writing and exist in rhythmic structures available to would be associated to planning and translating composed sentence by Spanish- skills, and that these skills would be in turn CA and WL) on the total number of words and children before they begin to execute handwriting, speaking children with and without poor the number of correct words produced, as well as opposed to being developed with handwriting associated to writing performance. The model was tested and compared with alternative models transcription skills: a writing-level match as on the measures of speed and fluency. The practice. Authors also briefly discuss possible design. older group of children (CA) performed better implications of the absence or violation of homothety in which the relationship between these processes was slightly different. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 50(5), 511-521. than the younger WL group on each measure, and isochrony principals by writers with dyslexia and confirming that children improve both transcription suggest the presence of motor planning difficulties A total of 196 Portuguese students from Grades Growing evidence suggests that transcription skills (spelling and handwriting) from Grades 1 to (with timing) may be part of dyslexia. Further 7-8 (UK equivalent Years 8-9) participated in the (i.e., handwriting and spelling) skills influence 3. Regarding the group with poor transcription research is required to investigate this idea. study. They were asked to write two essays: one writing ability, affecting the quality of the text skills, results showed that this group of children with a planning period (3 minutes) and another produced or the length of the composition. García, were slower, less accurate and less fluent one without planning. They had 5 minutes to write than their age-matched (CA) peers. Moreover, Limpo, T., Alves, R. A., & Connelly, V. Crespo and Bermúdez assessed the impact of each essay, and measures of handwriting fluency, transcription skills in a group of Spanish-speaking children in the PTS group were also less fluent (2017). Examining the transcription- spelling accuracy, planning, translating (sentence- children when asked to independently compose than the younger WL group though they made a writing link: effects of handwriting combining tasks and syntactic correctness in the a sentence. For this, they used the Early Grade comparable number of errors with the young WL fluency and spelling accuracy on writing essays) and writing quality were collected. Writing Assessment (EGWA) sentence writing task. children. The authors interpreted these results as evidence that individuals with PTS have a specific performance via planning and translating The analyses revealed that handwriting fluency According to the score obtained in different factors in middle grades. deficit in written production at the sentence-level. and spelling accuracy were correlated. Moreover, of the EGWA, which measured spelling accuracy Thus, programmes designed to improve both Learning and Individual Differences, 53(6), 26-36. handwriting fluency was correlated with planning and handwriting fluency, children were classified spelling accuracy and handwriting fluency should ability, whereas spelling accuracy was correlated in three groups: a group with poor transcription Transcription represents the low-level processes be considered to enhance transcription skills in with translating measures. It was also confirmed skills (PTS; n = 31), a control group with the same beginning and struggling writers. involved in externalising the linguistic message that alternative models were not superior to the chronological age (CA; n = 30) as the PTS group, in its written form, and comprises spelling

22 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 23 Research Digest (continued)

Prunty, M., & Barnett, A. L. (2017). formation of each letter, including the number and these children. The aim of this study was to better The authors note that the findings of no group Understanding handwriting difficulties: A direction of strokes, start positions and reversal of understand the handwriting profile of children with differences (ASD vs TD) on handwriting measures comparison of children with and without letters. For the free writing task, the text was scored ASD. Specifically, the authors were interested are surprising. They attribute this to the task using the Handwriting Legibility Scale (includes in how children with ASD perform under timed used and explain that, as the modified HPT was motor impairment. measures of global legibility, effort to read the script, conditions and the impact of the need for writing relatively simplistic (writing just three words), Cognitive neuropsychology, 34, 205-218. layout on the page, letter formation and alterations at speed on letter spacing and letter formation. this may have masked group differences that to writing). Further measures of handwriting speed The relationship between motor proficiency may have emerged if the writing task was more Handwriting difficulties can take various forms, and (the number of words produced per minute), and intellectual functioning with handwriting demanding. It is possible that if the children in children may have different profiles of proficiency execution speed (from the digital tablet: average competence was also explored. this study were asked to write more complex across various temporal and spatial measures of cm/s, not including pauses) and pause duration (% sentences, or compose their own sentences, handwriting performance. The aim of this study was of writing time spent paused) were taken. Twenty-three children with ASD, aged 8-12 years old, handwriting difficulties may have been better to investigate the nature of handwriting difficulties in (all boys) were compared to 20 typically-developing captured. The authors do also note the variability children with dysgraphia, a less studied group, and Results show no significant differences in (TD) age and gender matched children from schools in the ASD group. Therefore, future research to compare the handwriting profile with children performance between DCD and dysgraphia in Australia. Intellectual functioning was assessed would benefit from using more ecologically valid with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) children. However, in comparison to the typically- using the Wechsler scales and motor skill was writing tasks, such as a sentence or essay writing and typically-developing controls. developing control group, the DCD and dysgraphia assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery task, and comparing performance across a groups perform more poorly across all measures, for Children (2nd edition; MABC-2). Handwriting Dysgraphia is often characterised as significant range of writing demands, as well as considering including handwriting speed, legibility, and the skill was measured used a modified version of difficulties with handwriting, spelling, and individual differences. handwriting process measures (pausing and letter the Handwriting Performance Test (HPT), which written expression in the absence of specific formation). Interestingly, neither the dysgraphia required children to write the phrase ‘cat and dog’ developmental disorders, motor or cognitive or the DCD groups differed from the typically- five times in two conditions: non-speeded and impairment. For this study, children with dysgraphia Lin, Y-C., Chao, Y-L., Wu S-K., Lin, developing control group on execution speed. speeded. Handwriting movements were recorded were identified as children with poor handwriting. H-H., Hsu, C-H., Hsu, H-M., & Kuo, L-C. Despite using measures from both the product and using a digitizing tablet. Errors were coded (e.g., Handwriting by individuals with dysgraphia tends process of handwriting, no distinguishing features letter transpositions, writing over existing letters, (2017). Comprehension of handwriting to be slow and illegible, a similar writing profile to of group writing profiles emerged. This is interesting letter omissions, capitalisation errors, and stroke development: Pen-grip kinetics in children with DCD. However, no study has directly considering that none of the children in the additions), as were metrics related to the spacing handwriting tasks and its relation to fine compared handwriting performance across dysgraphia group had significant motor difficulties. between words, and dynamics such as writing children with DCD to those with dysgraphia. motor skills among school-age children. More research is needed in order to understand speed, accelerations, and pen lifts. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 64, The three groups were made up of 42 children the presentation and underlying mechanisms Results revealed that the ASD and TD groups 369-380. aged 8-14 (dysgraphia group, n = 14; DCD group, of handwriting difficulties in these different performed similarly on the number of errors n = 14; typically-developing group, n = 14). Children groups. There is a call for a range of classroom Occupational therapists often consider pen grip made, the spacing between words, and all of completed a range of measures which take into assessments to distinguish specific handwriting in relation to handwriting difficulties. Previous the measured handwriting dynamics (speed, consideration additional factors that might impact difficulties for tailored interventions. research has explored the relationship between accelerations, pen lifts) in both the speeded and on handwriting performance such as motor the ‘look’ of a pen grip (i.e., dynamic tripod vs non-speeded tasks. Further, children with ASD coordination, language, reading, and spelling lateral tripod, etc) and the handwritten outcome, that performed below the 9th percentile on the skill. All participants completed two handwriting Grace, N., Rinehart, N. J., Enticott, P. G., but few studies have used tools to measure grip MABC-2 were not distinguishable from the ASD tasks from the Detailed Assessment of Speed & Johnson, B. P. (2017). Do children with force while handwriting. This study investigated whole group or the TD group. Overall motor of Handwriting (DASH): the alphabet writing and pen-grip kinetics during writing tasks using a ASD have difficulty handwriting under proficiency (as measured by the MABC-2) was free writing tasks. For both tasks, children wrote custom Force Acquisition Pen (FAP) system and time pressure? found to be negatively correlated with the errors with an inking pen on paper placed on a digitizing examined the relationship between kinetic factors Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 37, made in the speeded condition, but not the writing tablet. Creating digital records of the pen and fine motor skills. 21-30. non-speeded condition; indicating the better the movements allowed for temporal and spatial motor skill, the fewer the errors made when writing The sample comprised 181 children aged 5-12 features of the writing process to be measured. Research suggests that a number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present with at speed. No other significant correlations were years old in Taiwan. All children used the FAP For the alphabet task, the digital recordings of motor difficulties and poor handwriting has often observed between the intellectual functioning to trace numbers (0-9) on three occasions. This letter production were used to check for correct been reported as a particular area of difficulty for measures and handwriting errors. writing task was chosen because Taiwanese

24 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 25 Research Digest (continued)

children first learn to read and write numbers Further readings and so the task was applicable for the younger Grace, N., Enticott, P. G., Johnson, B. P., & children in the sample. The FAP had sensors to Rinehart, N. J. (2017). Do handwriting difficulties detect the force between the pen-tip and the correlate with core symptomology, motor writing surface, as well as the force between the proficiency and attentional behaviours? Journal of digits (thumb, index and middle finger) and pen Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47, 1006- barrel. The fine motor tasks from the Bruininks- 1017. Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2) were also administered. Moy, E., Tardif, C., & Tsao, R. (2017). Predictor of handwriting in adolescents and adults with All participants used a tripod grasp. Age effects down syndrome. International Journal of Disability, were observed. Specifically, with age, the number Development and Education, 64, 169-181. of force fluctuations, task time and force ratio decreased. These findings indicate that the Peake, C., Diaz, A., & Artiles, C. (2017). Alphabet frequency of pushing and pulling from the three writing and allograph selection as predictors of digits decreases with age, which results in faster spelling in sentences written by Spanish-speaking and smoother movements. It was also observed children who are poor or good keyboarders. that older children used a more static grip pattern Journal of Learning Disabilities, 50, 543-551. and traced the template more accurately than younger children. Children in the early grades were more variable in grip force. Moreover, another interesting finding was that older children tended to apply force to the barrel to control the pen, rather than applying downward force to the paper. A rapid increase in fine motor skills and decrease in task time across the first 3 years of education suggests this is a critical period for the development of force control in relation to handwriting. In terms of relation to fine motor skill, the number of force fluctuations was correlated with manual dexterity performance on the BOT-2. This finding suggests that better force control of the hand when writing is strongly related to in-hand manipulation performance. Based on the findings, the authors suggest that early focus is needed on force control and the use of in-hand manipulation skills training alongside handwriting practice is necessary to support the development of such skills.

26 Handwriting Today Current Issues

Compiled by Pam Hulme Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) The Early Years Foundation Stage But first, a short clarification: There is a Framework (DfE, 2014) widespread assumption that the education of This sets the standards for all Early Years children in England begins within the ‘National providers and covers learning, development Curriculum’, but this is preceded by first statutory and care for children from birth to five. The initial phase, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), EYFS Framework (2008) was the product of an Bold or botched beginnings? The from birth to five. The Reception year marks the intensive period of development, in partnership end of this phase. with key stakeholders in the early years. It also early teaching of handwriting in English included higher and further education institutions, Stage Ages School Year national early years’ organisations and academic schools. advisors. As such, the framework and supporting EYFS 0 – 5 Reception materials represented a highly principled and distinct curriculum with ‘best practice’ to support Key Stage 1 5 – 7 Years 1 – 2 Earlier this year, I was asked by colleagues in children’s early learning and development. It is Key Stage 2 7 – 11 Years 3 – 6 not documented whether expert consultation was the Netherlands to explain the initial teaching of sought on the development of handwriting skills. Figure 1. EYFS and Primary Curriculum (0 -11years) handwriting in English schools. There was no simple The framework is supported by two resource answer, given the diversity of settings, interpretations Although children in England are not required texts: Development Matters in the Early Years to begin schooling until the term after their fifth Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2102 (Early Education, of the curriculum and choice of styles, particularly birthday, it is now common practice for most 2018) and Early Years Outcomes (DfE, 2013a) in the Reception year where the teaching of children to start at the beginning of the school There is no overall guidance for the teaching of year in which they turn five – in the ‘Reception’ handwriting in either text. handwriting is expected to begin. year or YR. As a consequence, they begin full time schooling at a younger age than in most other Two documents followed which did provide countries. Summer born children are just four information: ‘Gateway to Writing Development’ This article will attempt to give some insight into this years old for all or most of this year, yet all children (Foundation Years, 2009) and Practice Guidance are expected to meet the same statutory final for the Early Years Foundation Stage (pages 61- context and its origins. It will explore recent shifts in learning outcomes. 62) (Dept for Children, Schools & Families, 2008). teaching focus and a widening conceptual divide As National Strategies were replaced by a Statutory Assessments about what constitutes appropriate pedagogy for new National Curriculum, this useful material At the end of each stage shown above, there disappeared. In English schools, there has not this age group. Much of the deepening debates are statutory assessments of each child’s been any government guidance on the teaching of associated with this issue have surfaced in the progress in given areas of learning. At the end of handwriting issued since. The National Curriculum the Reception year, the Early Years Foundation (DfE, 2013b) sets out very clear handwriting wake of the Ofsted report’ Reception curriculum Stage Profile must be completed for each child. outcomes, but does not offer guidance on how The impact of this ‘high stakes’ testing is highly these are achieved. in good and outstanding primary schools: bold significant (Pells, 2017). beginnings (Ofsted, 2017) which will be explored. In most schools, this is the factor that dominates Where does handwriting appear in much of the curriculum and defines its priorities, current EYFS materials? especially in the ‘tested’ years: Reception, Years Although established handwriting skills are 2 and 6. Handwriting requirements are now required at the end of Reception, there is no embedded in assessments for writing in all three explanation of how these should be taught. phases. Although they are not signposted, the prerequisite

Handwriting Today 29 Current Issues (continued)

skills and dispositions are found throughout the Early Learning Goals (ELGs). Each is graded as They also write some irregular common words. Lack of Guidance on teaching of EYFS seven areas of learning. These areas are all ‘Emerging, Expected or Exceeding,’ according handwriting considered important and interconnected. Three to given criteria and exemplification materials. They write simple sentences which can be read In Bold Beginnings there is no mention of the Prime Areas are fundamental and support learning Practitioners’ assessments are primarily based on by themselves and others. Some words are spelt complexity of handwriting, nor any exploration in all other areas: Personal, Social and Emotional observing a child’s daily activities and must reflect correctly and others are phonetically plausible. of developmental factors. Here, successful Development, Communication and Language ‘responsible pedagogy’. There is also an expectation that some children handwriting is simple: it is sitting at a table and and Physical Development. Four Specific Areas should achieve exceeding levels, which in Writing, practising phonics: include essential skills and knowledge for children A further overall attainment is the GLD – Good Level of Development. This is awarded if the includes requirements for using a ‘correct’ pencil to participate successfully in society and include ‘Strong phonics teaching was the main vehicle child reaches at least the expected level within grip and beginning to be able to write on lines and Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World for developing children’s spelling and handwriting the following areas of learning: communication control letter size. and Expressive Arts and Design. Handwriting (transcriptional skills).’ requirements are specifically mentioned in two and language; physical development; personal, National results for ELG’s areas: social and emotional development; literacy; and ‘Most of the schools visited taught children to: mathematics. Given the complexity of the task, it is no surprise sit correctly on a chair at a table when writing, • Physical Development: Moving and Handling that in the national results, fewer children are hold a pencil correctly and comfortably using the • Literacy: Writing What are the handwriting requirements of working at the expected level in Writing compared tripod grip, form lower-case letters in the correct the Early Learning Goals? to other Early Learning Goals. Mathematics and direction, starting and finishing in the right place, The expectations for each area of learning are Reading also show a dip. This result, in turn, form capital letters, as prompted by the phonics These are embedded in two goals: ELG 04: summarised in age related bands in Early Years affects the percentage of children achieving programme being followed, write correctly a few Moving and Handling and ELG 10 Writing Outcomes (2013). These provide practitioners the required ‘Good level of Development’. The of the common exception words that had been with evidence to assess whether each child’s proposed remedies to this situation reveal deep learned for reading, write their own name correctly, development is on track. NHA guidance would ELG 04 Moving and handling: divisions between those who believe that the write simple sentences from dictation and begin challenge several assumptions included in the Children show good control and co-ordination in requirements for these three ELG’s are simply too sentences with capital letters and finish with full later statements based on research (Graham & large and small movements. difficult and those who call for curriculum changes stops.’ Santangelo, 2015). One example is encouraging to improve results. This ‘earlier is better’ or children to ‘copy’ letters as opposed to They move confidently in a range of ways, safely ‘schoolification’ of the Reception year prescribes a Teacher knowledge children learning to make the letter movements negotiating space. narrowing of the curriculum and more time spent themselves. Another is a preoccupation with The inspectors sought school leaders’ views They handle equipment and tools effectively, on formal learning of reading, writing and maths. ‘correct’ grip. There is no guidance on alternative on whether Newly Qualified Teachers were including pencils for writing. or other age- appropriate grips. particularly well trained to teach early language, Bold Beginnings reading, writing and mathematics. 83% of the EYFS profile ELG 10 Writing: The latter viewpoint has found some expression school leaders interviewed believed that teachers Children use their phonic knowledge to write in Bold Beginnings, a controversial Ofsted report who were new to the profession were not At the end of Reception, the EYFS profile for each words in ways which match their spoken sounds. which looked at the Reception curriculum in prepared sufficiently well for teaching handwriting child is completed. This includes progress in 17 ‘successful’ schools and how well it prepared and spelling in Reception. 4 and 5 year olds for the rest of their education That many teachers lack confidence in teaching Physical Development: Moving and Handling (a selection) and beyond. Its publication in November 2017, was accompanied by sections of the mass media handwriting comes as no surprise to NHA, given 30 – 50 • Holds pencil near point between first two fingers and thumb and uses it berating Reception teachers as ‘failing one third of that the subject is not a requirement in Initial months with good control. five year olds’ (Turner, 2017). Press reports omitted Teacher Training courses. One might expect that • Can copy some letters, e.g. letters from their name the fact that the ‘one third’ included many who the solution to this would be for trainees to study were still 4 years of age at the time of assessment the developmental nature of handwriting in the 40 – 60 • Begins to form recognisable letters. and those with Special Educational Needs and stages before children begin school. Instead, the months • Uses a pencil and holds it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of Disability. The references to handwriting in the report suggests that training of NQT’s should start which are correctly formed. report will now be explored. I present a selection with Reception and look ahead at progression. here, but urge a reading of the entire document. Figure 1. Sample of statements from Desirable Outcomes

30 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 31 Current Issues (continued)

Other handwriting advice ‘make sure that the teaching of reading, including References: handwriting, retrieved from https://www. On a positive note, the headteachers in the report systematic synthetic phonics, is the core purpose Association for Professional Development in Early foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ are critical of the practice of teaching continuous of the Reception Year. Start quickly, from the first Years [TACTYC] (2017). A Response to Ofsted’s Gateway-to-Writing-Developing-handwriting.pdf week of the new academic year’ cursive in Reception and of children joining letters (2017) report, Bold beginnings: The Reception Gaunt, C. (2018). New Early Learning Goals too early. It is the only part of the report where there curriculum in a sample of good and outstanding released, as autumn pilot confirmed, Nursery World, is any mention of the motor aspects of handwriting. primary schools, retrieved from http://tactyc.org. retrieved from https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/ uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Bold-Beginnings- nursery-world/news/1164846/new-early-learning- ‘Headteachers in the schools visited agreed that TACTYC-response-FINAL-09.12.17.pdf children needed to be able to form all letters correctly goals-released-as-autumn-pilot-confirmed and consistently before joined-up handwriting was DfE. (2014). Early years foundation stage statutory Ofsted. (2017). Bold Beginnings: The reception considered. Nearly all were unanimous in their view framework. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/ curriculum in a sample of good and outstanding that they did not teach a cursive or pre-cursive script government/publications/early-years-foundation- primary schools. Retrieved from https://www.gov. in Reception. These headteachers believed that stage-framework--2 uk/government/publications/reception-curriculum- it slowed down children’s writing, at a point when DfE. (2013a). Early years outcomes A non-statutory in-good-and-outstanding-primary-schools-bold- they already found manual dexterity tricky and the beginnings muscles in their shoulders, arms and hands were still guide for practitioners and inspectors to help developing’. inform understanding of child development through Pells, R. (2017). SATs having ‘damaging the early years, Retrieved from https://www. consequences’ for both children and schools, foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Early_Years_ Reception Week 1: Drawing Reception Week 3: Writing a teachers warn. Independent, Retrieved from https:// What are the implications of Bold Outcomes.pdf Beginnings for classroom practice? of a family holiday shopping list www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education- DfE. (2013b). National curriculum in England: English news/sats-having-damaging-consequences- This article began with an understanding that In Week 3 of Reception, Bella was expected to children-schools-teachers-nut-survey-a7806571.html practice within Reception classrooms is highly use letter sounds and letter shapes (she knows programmes of study. The statutory programmes varied. Indeed, reaction to the report included some in her name) to compose a meaningful text. of study and attainment targets for English at key Santangelo, T. & Graham, S. (2015). A hostility and rejection by many in the EYFS world, At 4 years 3 months, she ‘does not like school’ stages 1 to 4, retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/ comprehensive meta-analysis of handwriting including professional bodies Early Education and ‘hates spelling’. A not so bold beginning! government/publications/national-curriculum-in- instruction, Educational Psychology Review, 28(2), (Early Education, 2018) and Tactyc (Association Guidance from the NHA on how to teach england-english-programmes-of-study 225-265 for Professional Development in Early Years, handwriting are outlined below. DfE. (2017). Early years foundation stage profile 2017) Schools with strong EYFS pedagogy Standards & Testing Agency [SATS]. (2018). Early results in England 2017, retrieved from https:// years foundation stage profile 2018 handbook. have defended their practice and continued as Guidance from the NHA on the teaching www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/ before, though there is widespread expression Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/ of handwriting uploads/2017/10/EYFSP_Results_SFR_60_2017_ publications/early-years-foundation-stage-profile- of unease about the situation. The argument has Key_Facts.pdf not disappeared and has resurfaced in proposed NHA guidance on effective handwriting teaching 2018-handbook to 4-5 year olds would present a detailed model changes to the Early Learning Goals now being Dept for Children, Schools & Families. (2008). Turner, C. (2017). Reception teachers are failing a relating to the complex nature of the skill. It would piloted in 25 schools (Gaunt, 2018). The NHA will Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation third of five-year-olds, major Ofsted report finds, consider ‘whole body’ development of the relevant be responding to the content of these. Stage, Setting the Standards for Learning, Telegraph, retrieved from https://www.telegraph. skills: gross and fine motor, linguistic, cognitive, Development and Care for children from birth to co.uk/education/2017/11/30/reception-teachers- These are worrying times in teaching. The push to perceptual, sensory as well as important emotional five, retrieved from https://www.foundationyears.org. failing-third-five-year-olds-major-ofsted/ get children writing from the very start of Reception factors. There would be careful observation of uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/EYFS_Practice_ is changing the ethos of this unique year. Apart individual children to ensure appropriate ‘next steps’. Guide1.pdf from the resultant stress and anxiety on children Teaching would be developmentally appropriate and staff, there is the concern that botched and would involve both the process (P checks) and Early Education. (2018). Development matters in the beginnings will affect learning in the longer term. product (S factors - Letter shape). Patterning would early years foundation stage, Retrieved from https:// be encouraged and opportunities to practise letter www.early-education.org.uk/development-matters I conclude with examples from a Reception Writing formation in creative ways. They would practise Foundation Years. (2009). The national strategies portfolio. It exemplifies the recommendations of these in isolation until ready to write words. Bold Beginnings where teachers are urged to – early years – gateway to writing – developing

32 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 33 Tips for Teaching

Isabelle Vandevyvere & Birger Destoop, Artevelde University The Use of Apps in Handwriting rise rapidly, which is referred to as “positive The Hype Cycle (Fenn & Raskino, 2008) is a hype”. College Ghent model that visualises the evolution of different 2. The Peak of Inflated Expectations: The first innovations over time. These technological companies are trying out the innovation. Other innovations are mostly, like virtual reality, organisations are looking to join. Positive press 3D-printing, and blockchain. Research on the strengthens the sense of needing to join or risk maturity of technologies and the accompanying being left behind. graph is published on a yearly basis by the US- 3. The Trough of Disillusionment: Because A focus on Apps for Handwriting based research and advisory company Gartner, of impatience for results and negative Inc. Their research, advice and tools are intended press, enthusiasm is replaced gradually by There are many different opinions surrounding for commercial companies who want to innovate disillusionment. The focus shifts from the in order to maintain or increase their advantage possible value to the challenges the innovation the use of assistive technology such as tablets in over competitors. But in recent years, the model faces. This loss of enthusiasm is referred to as the context of handwriting and writing. However also has also found its way into healthcare-related “negative hype”. research (Chen & Asch, 2017; Heading, 2017; 4. The Slope of Enlightenment: Developers handwriting has a variety of important roles to play in Ronfard, Vertes, May, Dupraz, van Dyke & Bayon, incorporate the feedback of early adopters. The children’s learning. There is some evidence that the 2017). innovation matures into a second-generation The Hype Cycle (Fenn & Raskino, 2008) version. physical act of handwriting helps the flow of ideas consists of five stages: 5. The Plateau of Productivity: The benefits of the when constructing written composition in a ways 1. The Innovation Trigger: A breakthrough, public innovation are clear for the wider population. demonstration, product launch, or some other Thanks to the diminishing risk more companies that keyboarding does not (The National Handwriting event generates press and industry interest in adopt the technology. Association, 2018; Mc Eachern, 2011). some innovation. During this stage expectations Handwriting is still required in our daily lives and plays a role in expressing our identity (Weintraub, Gilmour-Grill & Weiss, 2010). While there is an increase in the use of tablet technology in children, tablet applications (Apps) can serve as a means of treating handwriting difficulties in the classroom and clinic. The following section describes how Apps are developed and used in health related fields.

Figure 1. General Gartner Research’s Hype Cycle diagram (CC BY-SA 3.0 - Olga Tarkovskiy)

34 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 35 Tips for Teaching (continued)

The use of mobile applications in healthcare tablets) and print awareness, print knowledge, and be implemented as a tool to practise more at environment, it is worth looking for evidence. In (mHealth) and rehabilitation has reached the sound knowledge (Neumann & Neumann, 2014; home. Some articles offer advice on selecting doing so you will find that more research needs Plateau of Productivity for a while now seeing Neumann, 2014; Neumann, 2016). On the other and appraising mobile applications for their use in to be done to reach a consensus on the subject. as they are widely present in public schools and hand, other studies revealed that practicing writing therapy (More & Travers, 2013) or suggest specific For now, it can be assumed that using an iPad to therapeutic environments (Davis & Sweeney, 2015; with a stylus on a tablet did not impact the writing apps and app databases (Gerde, Foster & Skibbe, treat handwriting difficulties can be helpful. The Coutinho et al., 2017). In part by their portability, speed when compared to practicing with paper 2014). In our experience (Vandevyvere & Destoop, evidence is insufficient, but many practitioners small size, and ease of use they are considered a and pencil (Patchan, & Puranik, 2016), or that the 2017), one size does not fit all. Application have stated that using an iPad results in increased worthy alternative within the area of interventions use of tablets had a negative impact on the fine appraisal tools are always in need of adaptation to levels of engagement in exercises related to (pre) for occupational therapists (Coutinho et al., 2017) motor development of preschool children (Lin, the specific clinical context of the professional and handwriting. Based on this experience and looking and other healthcare providers. Cherng & Chen, 2017). every app database has its pros and cons. at the game elements that are mostly used, we can conclude that the use of iPads for the According to Berninger (2006) handwriting “is Besides, we know that most writing apps The STREET process (Fenn & Raskino, 2008) treatment of handwriting difficulties can be helpful fundamentally Language by Hand, which shares incorporate game elements into their design. This which accompanies the Hype Cycle, can be of to motivate children to practise more. some common processes with other kinds of makes them fit the description of serious games. some value in selecting the right innovation at the language (listening, speaking, and reading) but Research has shown that using serious games in right time. also some distinct processes that are unique to healthcare and rehabilitation often results in higher References writing. For many humans, handwriting can be a levels of motivation to engage with exercises • Scope: First you generate a clear overview of Batorowicz, B., Missiuna, C. A., & Pollock, N. A. difficult task. Occupational therapists Bartorowicz, (Boendermaker, Boffo & Wiers, 2015; Bonnechere, the goals of your interventions and which goals (2012). Technology supporting writtenproductivity Missiuna, and Pollock (2012) were the first to do Omelina, Jansen, & Van Sint Jan 2017; Garcia- the App should complement. in children with learning disabilities: A critical research on this topic. Their review indicated that Hernandez, Garza-Martinez & Parra-Vega, 2018). • Track: Then study what the aim of the selected review. Canadian Journal of Occupational evidence is rather low to support the use of writing This could be an argument for using tablets and app is and how it tries to achieve it. Create a Therapy, 79(4), 211-224. technology for treatment of handwriting difficulties. applications in therapeutic interventions. clear image of the positive and negative criteria Berninger, V. W., Abbott, R. D., Jones, J., However, there are a number of advantages of the app. Maybe even include possible Wolf, B. J., Gould, L., Anderson-Youngstrom, to using a keyboard or alternative devices. updates the app will receive in the coming Translation into Clinical Practice M., Shimada, S., & Apel, K. (2006). Early Freeman et al (2005), argued that a reasonable months. One of the most common reasons for the referral development of language by hand: Composing, level of keyboarding proficiently is needed of children to occupational therapy is for difficulties • Rank: Compare each app with the requirements reading, listening, and speaking connections; to use a personal computer as a successful with handwriting (Hutchison, Beschorner, & you have defined in the first step. Rank the apps three letter-writing modes; and fast mapping in alternative for handwriting. The assumption that Schmidt-Crawford, 2012). What does this mean and select the best. spelling. Developmental Neuropsychology, 29(1), keyboarding requires different skills that are easier for clinical practice? Do we need to allow children • Evaluate: Try out the app. In doing this you will 61-92. is documented by Weintraub et al (2010). Corkett to play on the iPad? It is time to reframe the way find additional benefits and disadvantages of and Benevides (2016) examined how the writing we use technology in the world of treatment and the app. Boendermaker, W. J., Boffo, M., & Wiers, R. of nine teenagers with a learning disability differed education (Hutchison, Beschorner, & Schmidt- • Evangelise: Spread the word when you have W. (2015). Exploring elements of fun to motivate when they wrote by hand versus with an iPad. Crawford, 2012). Based on daily experiences, found an App that fits your needs. Create youth to do cognitive bias modification. Games for They reported that using an iPad was effective children are more motivated to practice on the communities of practices to help each other health journal, 4(6), 434-443. in significantly improving spelling accuracy, tablet than on paper and prewriting skills in save time in searching for the right app. the number of T-units and number of ideas Bonnechere, B., Omelina, L., Jansen, B., & Van particular can be easily practised on a tablet expressed. They also reported an insignificant • Transfer: When you are the head of the Sint Jan, S. (2017). Balance improvement after (Vandevyvere, 2018). However, at present improvement for writing productivity, the number department, find someone who is motivated physical therapy training using specially developed evidence of the effectiveness of using tablets in of written sentences and grammatical errors. to follow up on selected applications and who serious games for cerebral palsy children: handwriting interventions is insufficient for guiding However, the use of iPads may have more long- wants to spend time appraising others, or preliminary results. Disability and rehabilitation, decisions in clinical practice. As such, tablets can term effects that cannot be measured sufficiently create a group to do so. 39(4), 403-406. be considered as ‘tools’ to complement classic in a short-term study. Current research results are treatment approaches based on guidelines. Conclusion Chen, J. H., & Asch, S. M. (2017). Machine often inconclusive and sometimes contradictory to As a therapist, it can be used as a motivator learning and prediction in medicine-beyond the other research. Some studies suggest a positive Nowadays, using the iPad for education or to practise prewriting skills. For therapists who peak of inflated expectations. N Engl J Med, association between the use of tablets (including treatment is accepted. When considering work with parents or teachers, iPads can also 376(26), 2507-2509. access to tablets, the frequency of writing with the tablet and apps for use in a therapeutic

36 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 37 Tips for Teaching (continued) with early bird discounts

Corkett, J. K., & Benevides T (2016) iPad Versus Lin, L. Y., Cherng, R. J., & Chen, Y. J. (2017). Handwriting: Pilot Study Exploring the Writing Effect of touch screen tablet use on fine motor Abilities of Students with Learning Disabilities. development of young children. Physical & Journal of International Special Needs Education: occupational therapy in pediatrics, 37(5), 457-467. April 2016, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 15-24. McEachern, T. Hon. B.Sc. (2011) strategies to Coutinho, F., Bosisio, M. E., Brown, E. J., develop handwriting and improve Literacy Skills. Rishikof, S., Skaf, E., Freedin, E., & Dahan-Oliel, Consulted on 10-07-2018 retrieved from https:// N. (2017). Facilitators and barriers to the use www.ldatschool.ca/literacy-skills-handwriting/ of iPads as a therapy tool: A Canadian survey of pediatric occupational therapists. Journal More, C. M., & Travers, J. C. (2013). What’s app of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early with that? Selecting educational apps for young Intervention, 10(3), 266-283. children with disabilities. Young Exceptional Children, 16(2), 15-32. Davis, K., & Sweeney, S. (2015). Reading, Writing and AAC: Mobile Technology Strategies Neumann, M. M., & Neumann, D. L. (2014). for Literacy and Language Development. SIG 12 Touch screen tablets and emergent literacy. Early Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Childhood Education Journal, 42(4), 231-239. Communication, 24(1), 19-25. Neumann, M. M. (2014). An examination of Fenn, J., & Raskino, M. (2008). Mastering the touch screen tablets and emergent literacy in hype cycle. Harvard Business, Cambridge. Australian pre-school children. Australian Journal of Education, 58(2), 109-122. Freeman, A. R. ,MacKinnon, J. R., & Miller, L.T. This is being planned to take place at (2005). Keyboarding for students with handwriting Neumann, M. M. (2016). Young children’s use problems: A literature review. Physical and of touch screen tablets for writing and reading Brunel University London in the occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 25(1/2), 119 -147. at home: Relationships with emergent literacy. Computers & Education, 97, 61- 6 8. Spring Garcia-Hernandez, N., Garza-Martinez, K., & Parra-Vega, V. (2018). Electromyography Patchan, M. M., & Puranik, C. S. (2016). Using Biofeedback Exergames to Enhance Grip Strength tablet computers to teach preschool children to and Motivation. Games for health journal, 7(1), 75-82. write letters: Exploring the impact of extrinsic and intrinsic feedback. Computers & Education, 102, Gerde, H. K., Foster, T. D., & Skibbe, L. E. (2014). 128 -137. Beyond the pencil: Expanding the occupational therapists’ role in helping young children to Ronfard, V., Vertes, A. A., May, M. H., Dupraz, develop writing skills. The Open Journal of A., van Dyke, M. E., & Bayon, Y. (2017). Occupational Therapy, 2(1), 5. Evaluating the past, present, and future of regenerative medicine: a global view. Tissue Handwriting Association (2018) consulted Engineering Part B: Reviews, 23(2), 199-210. on 10-07-2018 retrieved from http://www. nha-handwriting.org.uk/handwriting/about- Vandevyvere, I., & Destoop, B. (2017). De digitale handwriting-difficulties pengreep. Consulted on 10-07-2018 Retrieved from http://www.arteveldehogeschool.be/elpa/ Heading, R. C. (2017). Proton pump inhibitor ergotherapie/digitalepengreep/ failure in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a perspective aided by the Gartner hype cycle. Clinical Medicine, 17(2), 132-136. http://www.nha-handwriting.org.uk

38 Handwriting Today Handwriting in the Media

Keith Oliver, a fraud lawyer at Peters & Peters class syllabi this semester expressly forbid Compiled by Ewan Clayton Solicitors, warned that the decreasing need for laptops in lecture halls. Additionally, some of my physical signatures when buying products and professors have gone so far to outlaw the Kindle services was leading to consumers making “rash” versions of my textbook — hence the reason I spending decisions. He said: “These days all you lug my 5-pound book of John Milton’s completed have do to enter into a contractual agreement is works back and forth from campus three times a Signs of the times press a button, but the problem is that people week’. are getting into contractual obligations, often without any idea what they’re doing. Signing a It seems that Mueller and Oppenheimer’s research My annual treasure trove of items to review this year piece of paper makes you stop and think and the at Princeton University from several years ago absence of that is making people make more rash (https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/ ended in the first week of August with rare unanimity decisions.” releases/take-notes-by-hand-for-better-long-term- comprehension.html) is finally entering the popular between The Times (3/8), The Guardian (27/7) and Stories about signatures had been rumbling culture and having an effect. The Daily Telegraph (26/7) who mourned the demise all year initially stimulated by the introduction of chip and pin to American credit cards (New York Whilst handwriting was being reintroduced to of the signature. Times ‘Why signatures matter’ 11/4). In the USA college campuses in the USA here in Britain the the practice of signing slips of paper when using press carried reports that Cambridge University credit cards has remained the normal practice up was considering phasing out handwriting for Online Spy Shop, a cyber security firm with an to now. exams and allowing students to use laptops and ipads (The Daily Telegraph 9/9). The reason interest in things digital, commissioned a survey that On the subject of signing in on electronic devices given was that often the standard of handwriting revealed more than half of adults in the UK rarely the technical press noted that back in February, was so bad that it was illegible. After piloting an Apple registered patents for real time handwriting exam typing scheme in several faculties this year sign their names any more, one in five don’t have recognition. This fuelled speculation (MacWorld the University has now launched a consultation 23/6) that the new iPhones, due to be released with the students. ‘Dr Sarah Pearsall, a Senior a consistent signature and four in ten signatures in the autumn of 2018, may include this feature. It Lecturer at Cambridge’s History Faculty who was are now to acknowledge deliveries, often using should be noted however that for some time now involved with the pilot earlier this year, said that this feature has existed for writers in Chinese. handwriting is becoming a “lost art” among the electronic devices. The Daily Telegraph highlighted a current generation of students. “Fifteen or twenty So here we see a paradox. One kind of years ago students routinely have written by hand practical consideration transaction phases writing out, but another several hours a day - but now they write virtually introduces it. The story of the demise of writing is nothing by hand except exams…As a faculty becoming more nuanced and complicated. we have been concerned for years about the From February 2018 an article in The Daily declining handwriting problem. There has definitely Californian (a student run newspaper from Berkley) been a downward trend. It is difficult for both the caught my eye. It signalled the reintroduction students and the examiners as it is harder and of handwriting to University courses as a harder to read these scripts.” Dr Pearsall added recommended method of note taking. ‘College that an increasing number of scripts are having to students around the country collectively groan be transcribed centrally, meaning that students when, on syllabus day, they see the words “NO with illegible writing are forced to come back TECHNOLOGY ALLOWED” emblazoned across to their college during the summer holidays to the top of the paper”. The article went on to read their answers aloud in the presence of two explain ‘the research linking improved retention university administrators.’ rates with handwritten notes explains why my

40 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 41 Handwriting in the Media (continued)

The article continued, ‘Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice- for handwriting, and to know when it’s important referrals she has in her clinic are from children with One other interesting study covered in the Israeli Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, to use each.” underlying conditions, such as Developmental press followed experiments at the University of said it is “inevitable” that universities will move to Coordination Disorder, known as dyspraxia. Haifa (reported in The Jerusalem Post but best computers as handwriting deteriorates in coming On December 8th The Scotsman reported that “What occupational therapists on the ground are seen in a document from the University of Haifa years. “Handwriting is very significantly in decline. schools in Scotland may phase out handwritten observing now are children without any underlying itself from 15/2) where writing was being used We have to accept the reality - this is the way the exams in the next decade, though not for impairments,” she said. “Although this is an as a tool for measuring mood. Self-reporting vast majority of students have been brought up,” all subjects and there was a note of caution. interesting observation, we don’t know from a our moods are a notoriously subjective process, he said. “The young people taking their Finals at “Before an entire education system moved in research point of view if technology is impacting what if an objective method could be found? Cambridge learnt how to express themselves at that direction, you need to make sure no-one is on fine motor skills generally and whether that is Researchers claimed writing could indicate the beginning of this century - they type naturally. disadvantaged.” But the article concluded ‘There having a knock-on effect on handwriting.” mood. (http://www.newswise.com/articles/new- Handwriting has become an optional, not a is growing evidence that teenagers brought up on study-at-the-university-of-haifa:-our-handwriting- necessary, part of education….There simply email, texting and web-based social media sites The activity of writing itself as a tool for helping reveals-our-mood). ‘For example, the height of the isn’t the same time in the curriculum devoted to have lost the ability to write with a pen legibly.’ learning featured in a story on learning English letters written by people in a negative mood was (The Guardian 16/3). Linking into an old New York learning elegant, beautiful, handwriting. Life is so The problem often highlighted around exams is significantly lower than in the case of people in a quick now, it’s as if everybody writes as if they are Times article (20/6/18) quoting Virginia Berninger, positive or neutral mood. It was also found that the length of time that students are required to professor in Educational Science at the University a doctor writing a prescription.” write. If they have not acquired a functional pen participants in a negative mood showed quicker of Washington, The Guardian covers the work in writing and narrower width of letters than those A story in The Guardian (5/4) begged to differ. hold, are able to sit comfortably over a long period teaching English to those for whom it is not a first of time, and write with flow it’s going to be an in a positive or neutral mood. The researchers ‘Putting pen to paper’ highlighted the work of language. Berninger has argued that handwriting, explain that it is probably the negative mood that schools that nurture a love of the (hand) written uncomfortable experience. An article in the Daily forming the letters, can help students pay Mail (16/9) highlighted the problem with its headline creates a cognitive burden on the brain, leading in word. Katie Sinclair creative curriculum leader attention to written language. From The Guardian turn to changes in handwriting.’ at Franche Primary School in Kidderminster ‘ Shopping and to do lists keep writing alive’. we read ‘At St Jude’s C of E primary academy in was quoted as saying “All of our writing is for a Beyond the examination hall the most popular item Wolverhampton, where a third of the children are In the arts handwriting featured in stories about purpose. That’s the key in getting children to value to write today is, apparently, a simple list. EAL students, year 5 teacher Julianne Britton has Tracy Emin’s new sculpture at St Pancras handwriting, …. As soon as you put an audience The platform of skills required for writing begin found handwriting particularly useful for teaching International Station. The Independent (11/4) had there, [knowing] that someone out there is going in the early years with the development of fine grammar. It’s an area where EAL students often no time for it but, on a personal note I like the to be reading it – whether that’s parents or motor skills. For four or five months in the middle fall down because English sentence structures are pink LED sign that affirmatively (and somewhat another group of children – there’s always the real of the last year the media ran stories suggesting frequently very different to their native language, provocatively given Brexit) proclaims ‘I want my sense of pride to go along with it: I’m writing so that that digital devices and touch screens were she explains. “Sometimes it is easier for children time with you’. it needs to be read, I’m proud of what I’ve done.” leading to poorer skill development in this area. It to see the words and sentences written down The article highlighted schools where children rather than simply listening to it,” she says. “By In New York the Morgan Museum opened a show is worth pointing out that it is not so much the use in the spring featuring the autograph collection wrote letters to individuals in local care homes, of things in themselves that might be problematic handwriting, they are more likely to notice the and to the famous and good. ‘Sinclair adds that grammatical structures.” of Brazilian author and publisher Pedro Corrêa but the time spent away from playing with other do Lago. He has assembled one of the biggest developing students’ writing in this way matters objects that one picks up and places, and turns for their life after school: “For us, it’s important Two unusual research items jumped at me over collections of such manuscripts today focussing and throws etc. The most substantial article the year. One extraordinary story looked at writing on six areas: art, history, literature, science, music, that we create citizens of the future who have a appeared on the BBC’s website (17/3) following set of life skills that can make them successful.” as a way of bringing a patient out of a deep and entertainment. The collection spans nearly on from one in The Guardian (9/4). But here our vegetative state. The paper is from China and nine hundred years and ranges from an 1153 The dominance of technology is a challenge, she own Chair, Mellissa Prunty, urges caution over admits, but she also believes both tools have details a method of a care giver assisting a man in document signed by four medieval popes to a links between tablet, phone use and handwriting a deep vegetative state to write calligraphy, after 2006 thumbprint signature of physicist Stephen their place. “Obviously we’re competing with “There are other factors such as spelling and technology continuously,” she says. “And I know eight months of treatment the patient returned Hawking, language development, but also how much to consciousness with newly enhanced skills. there are people there saying you don’t need to handwriting children engage with at nursery or One of the most extraordinary stories of survival bother about handwriting because tech is out (https://www.dovepress.com/chinese-calligraphy- pre-school groups and how much writing they do handwriting-cch-a-case-of-rehabilitative- appeared in India’s The Hindu (14/4) about The there. But we don’t see it as competing. We’re at school,” said Dr Prunty. Most of the handwriting Mussleman which is the world’s last handwritten trying to get pupils to realise that there’s a place awakening-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDT).

42 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 43 Handwriting in the Media (continued)

newspaper, it reached 91 this year. This is a heart- warming story and I urge you to read it. https:// www.thehindu.com/society/the-worlds-only- handwritten-newspaper-is-91-and-sells-at-75- paise/article23528891.ece Hi Tec met history in a story of new discoveries about the Dead Sea Scrolls using technology originally developed by NASA (The Independent 5/5). Going through fragments stored in a cigar box since the 1950s a researcher was able to read previously unseen writing, one fragment proved to be in a unique hand indicating the existence of a scroll that has yet to be discovered. And finally a titbit for calligraphers. I was surprised to read a little reported story picked up by Fine Books and Collections (14/2) about the famous Book of Kells. Brendan Meehan, the principal authority on the book, has discovered that the book may be two separate works, created half a century apart. He has noticed that the Gospel of St. John and the first few pages of Mark are in one hand (and a slightly older style of writing) and the rest of the book is in another hand. He speculates that the first part may have been written on the Island of Iona at the end of eighth century and then, following the Viking attacks when the community retreated to Ireland, the second part of the book was written at Kells in the mid ninth century. Well that is it for this year, there was the usual sprinkling of graphology stories surrounding Made in Germany celebrities and also the ongoing debate about cursive versus print script but nothing really new there. So for this year I decided to give us a break!

Slider Rave Ballpoint pen with Viscoglide® technology for extraordinarily smooth, gliding writing. With replaceable giant refill Slider 755 Extra Broad (XB) with wear-resistant stainless steel tip. The Slider Rave is produced CO₂ 44 Handwriting Today neutral. www.schneiderpen.com Handwriting Today 45 Review of Resources

Compiled by Laraine Erhlanderr-Lawrence Stabilo (www.stabilo.com) in packs of 12, tubs of 42 and school packs of Stabilo displayed their range of Stabilo Boss Original 200. It proved to be highly rated by teachers at highlighters. They can be bought in wallets of 6 pastel The Education Show, Birmingham March 2018. colours ranging from orange, pink and yellow to lilac, Yo Boki Ltd (yo-boki.com/ [email protected]) blue and pale green. They are helpful to students There was an excellent range of pens and markers as there are no screaming colours and are very soft An interesting colouring book has been produced on the eye unlike typically produced fluorescent by this new start-up company. There are 80 pages in new pastel colours on display at the London highlighters, making them the ideal choice for children to colour which feature the character Boki playing who may be easily distracted by a sensory overload outside on skate boards, bicycles and climbing for Stationery Show in April and these included the of colour. The ink doesn’t saturate the paper and example as an antidote to screen time often used following selected items: leak through to the back of notes. Also, they include by children. The book leads the way to discussion Stabilo Anti-Dry-Out technology which gives them 4 and thereby encouragement for children to get hours dry-out protection. Further pastel colours can outside and perform the range of whole body also be seen in the new range of Stabilo pointMax exercises necessary for the development of the 0.8mmhandy clip pens which have been designed in skills needed for handwriting. Also produced a range of 24 colours ensuring efficiency, finesse and is a ‘high & lows’ jigsaw board game based on visibility in writing and designing tasks. snakes and ladders which can also be coloured in. This could be part of a counselling programme Zebra (www.zebrapen.co.uk) in schools to give focus to discussions over highs Also seen were the Sarasa Knock Gel Ballpoint and low points in the emotional development of clip 0.5mm pens which are available in a set of 8 children, an aid to mental health initiatives. in ‘milk’ colours ranging from ‘milk white’ to ‘milk Pentel (www.pentel.co.uk) blue green’ and a soft ‘milk red’. Pastel shade highlighters from Zebra include the Kirarich Glitter New to the Pentel range are the exciting Hybrid Dual Highlighter 6 pack sets which have yellow, green, Metallic pens. You can write in two different colours pink, purple and blue pens. on dark or light-coloured paper, using the same pen. The pens show iridescent effects when turned Zebra Fuente Fountain 0.6mm Pens are disposable to reflect the light. Each pen produces a different pens with metal nibs and come in packs of 7 shade on dark or light-coloured paper. The 1.0mm different colours. The ink flows freely, and they adapt broad tip is perfect for drawings, cards, designs and well to awkward grips. Lines dry immediately and beautiful illustrations. The children see their effects there is no smudging. The Zebra Fuente Disposable as quite magical and they are highly motivating for Fountain pens can be bought in packs of blue and even the most reluctant and apprehensive child. black. There are also Teacher Sets of green, pink The colours are: black/metallic red, pink/metallic and purple. They can be used for 1400m. All pens pink, green/metallic blue, blue/metallic blue, orange/ have clips which clearly show the ink colour. metallic yellow, violet/metallic violet, yellow/metallic gold, grey/metallic silver. These luxurious colours Further products of interest included: lend themselves to many uses and occasions. Edding (www.edding.com) These gel rollers are unique to Pentel. Very popular for children learning to write are the The new range of EnerGel ink pens are quick Edding Handwriter pens. They can be bought in drying, very smooth flowing and therefore blue and black. They have round nibs which adapt particularly useful for left-handers. The 0.7mm to the wide range of angles children write with metal tip pen, a deluxe cap-style pen with a chunky and the stroke width is 0.6mm. The ink can be barrel, has a comfortable rubber finger grip, and washed out of clothes at 40C. They are available is refillable. The retractable gel pen is also refillable

46 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 47 Review of Resources (continued)

and comes in 12 colours. Pens with different rubber with children as the Viscoglide technology enables language. They provide a perfect multi-sensory more focused, however, one child was fascinated finger grips can also be seen in the EnerGel range. the production of smooth easy flowing lines. The addition to any synthetic phonics programme. by the Velcro fastening and became distracted. Base range includes Base Kid: a short-barrelled They are styled in an infant Sassoon font and are I personally have never used this type of weight Artline (www.shachihata.eu) fountain pen for small fingers with a non-slip grip tactile and robust. They fitted in perfectly with the to aid writing, but I will definitely use these The Artline Heroes is a new product range that and pressure resistant nib. A longer barrelled pen handwriting approach of the school. weighted bands to aid SEND children. They were includes markers that have been highly engineered is available for larger hands. The cartridges are very well received. The girl on the right felt more and specifically developed and designed to last. visible and there are left-handed versions available. The products from TTS Group Ltd were trialled by comfortable with a band on each wrist. The products are used by people in a wide range children with the support of a class teacher or LSA of industries, from architecture to art, classrooms TTS Group Ltd (www.tts-group.com) Get a Grip Pencil selection box – product Calming Finger Chews – product trialled with trialled with Year 1 children aged 5 and 6 to construction sites and by golfers and gardeners. The following new products were trialled by children in Year R children aged 4 and 5 The markers produced are permanent and xylene a school for Reception and KS1 children. The overall We spent 15 minutes trialling these products. We have one particular child who really responded free. For DT the Artline710 is a long nib marker that comment was that the products were ‘fabulous’, well to this product and it enabled him to focus This set was amazing because of the range of has been calibrated and designed with a 30mm enjoyed by the children, colourful and robust. more at our whole class carpet session while he grips. The children loved choosing the ones they nib to reach into difficult to access places, such as was ‘calmed’ by the fidget toy. He chewed the liked, testing them and then deciding which one holes drilled through wood. The Glassboard 2.0mm The Calming Finger Chews come with four fidget toy and he also just played with it as it was they preferred. It was a fun activity and the results water-based drywipe marker is worthy of mention designs in a pack. They are designed for children very tactile and this met his sensory needs. He liked very valuable. I personally liked the way that the as it works on glass, whiteboards and blackboards. with sensory processing needs. They are ideal the fact he could chose a colour from the selection! children made the choice of which pencil grip It comes in 6 assorted colours: pink, orange, for children who require help with oral motor worked best for them. There were some very yellow, green, blue and indigo. It is a long-lasting, strengthening. They are an ideal size to hold and Weighted Wristbands dark green – product promising results. At first, the children chose their hardwearing product, that uses dense vibrant inks the different textured surfaces provide sensory trialled with Year 1 children aged 5 and 6 grips according to their favourite colours and that and flows marking a consistent line from the bullet input. The chews can also be used as fidget toys, We spent 10 – 15 mins trialling this product. These proved to be very popular but then decided which tip. It gives a pleasing result for window displays as for children who like to chew their clothes and help to keep them calm and focussed. products were used with children, both right- ones they really liked when writing with them. the colours are strong. The Artline517 whiteboard handed and left-handed, who have been finding markers can be used on small personally held The Weighted Wristbands were also trialled writing challenging. I particularly liked the choice boards in the classroom as they use dry safe ink and found useful for providing extra sensory of the dark green colour because they won’t look and the caps can be left off for 48 hours without input during handwriting. They are designed to grubby too quickly and they will be in regular use. them drying up. There are 9 colours in the range. help develop strength, stability and increased awareness to the hands and wrists. They have Schneider (www.schneiderpen.com) adjustable velcro style fastenings. Schneider’s guiding principle is ‘We Care’ about sustainability and the environmental impact of The Get a Grip Pencil Grips Selection Box their products. Production is based in the Black – 33 pk has been created by popular demand Forest and Harzmountains. They are the only and developed in partnership with NASEN and company in the field to receive EMAS certification contains 13 of the most popular best-selling pencil (Eco-Management and Audit System). To avoid grips. There is plenty of choice within the contents waste, the products are designed to ensure high to enable each child to enhance their ability to A sample of comments from the children: Tri- utility value combined with a long service life. position their pencil in such a way that a stable, go grip – “This is my favourite, your fingers really Organic and recycled materials are used where comfortable pencil position can be achieved fit in!” Writing claw – “It’s amazing. I can still move possible. They produce a wide range of fountain and maintained through using their fingers more my fingers”, and from some, “they’re sticky to pens, cartridge rollerballs, fibrepens and biros. A effectively. The teachers found the box particularly Comments from the children: “They feel heavy. touch, I don’t like touching that one.” popular product is the Slider Edge ballpoint pen. useful and a move forward from packs of single They feel like they’re keeping your hands to the It has a triangular barrel with an anti-slip zone designs that might or might not suit their children. ground! They’re comfy, but heavy. I like them.” The information booklet with the pencil grips is and a wear-resistant stainless steel tip. They are very helpful, even the children looked through it. The Multi-Sensory Gel Squidgy Sparkle Letters All children gave the wrist bands ‘the thumbs produced with three widths – fine, medium and It would have been useful to have more pencils in – 44 sounds were very well received. The sets of up’ and would wear them given the choice. We extra wide (XB). The Slider Edge XB is popular the set, especially a jumbo pencil as one grip did graphemes cover the 44 sounds of the English found that the children fidgeted less and were not fit a normal thickness pencil.

48 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 49 Review of Resources (continued)

Squidgy Sparkle Letters – 20 mins with mixed attainment children These were fabulous. We’ve had similar sets in the past but made of foam so they got grubby very quickly. These will keep clean for longer, so STAEDTLER claims position definitely a good choice. The children used them to trace around with their fingers, then copied them onto white boards. as the No.1 wood-cased, The children’s comments were all positive: “I love the different colours. They’re helping me join up the letters. They feel nice. I like copying them.” graphite pencil supplier “I would recommend all of these products”. Helen, Senior Teacher in the UK

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18_226 - Staedtler - LJ National Handwriting Association Advert_PRINT.indd 1 07/09/2018 08:54 Conference Reviews

The World Literacy Summit had been included in the programme for this event Compiled by Cathy Parvin so it was an exciting opportunity to present the 25th -27th March 2018 case for the survival of handwriting and to show the Balliol College, Oxford University, Oxford, UK powerful evidence to date of handwriting’s unique contribution to literacy. This annual and prestigious event, which attracts several hundred speakers and delegates from all Other presentations within this group described over the world, was held, as in previous years, at some interesting and admirable work such as Balliol College, Oxford University. The theme this tackling literacy disadvantage for girls in Ghanaian year was Women’s Education. The summit began villages, in-hospital education for long-term child with a dinner in the University on the Sunday night patients in the Ukraine and the publication and with the main event commencing the following distribution of suitable reading books for children morning. in South Africa. This was a truly international and remarkable event and one which I was honoured to Day 1 began with the summit’s opening address have been part of. by Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, wife of Prince Constantijn, who is special envoy for Angela Webb UNESCO’s Partnership for Women’s Education. Former Chair of The National Handwriting This was followed by a welcome address by Association Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East and Tony Cree, chair of the World Literacy Council. The keynote speech was delivered by Clive Lee of the Yidan Prize Foundation, which is a platform UK’s 7th Biennial Academic that allows the global community to engage in and Practitioner Conference conversation around education and to play a role in education philanthropy. Following this, the on Developmental World Literacy Council Awards were presented. Coordination Disorder The rest of Day 1 was taken up with a panel at which the issue of ‘Girls’ and Women’s Literacy June 29th & 30th 2018 and Education for Sustainable Development’ was Brunel University London addressed. Dr Mellissa Prunty, Dr Kate Wilmut, Dr Carolyn Day 2 consisted of individual presentations from Dunford, Emma Warburton, and Janet Tyas around the world. These were clustered under organised an information packed and stimulating fifteen different headings and ran in parallel conference presenting the latest research on sessions, each to around 50 delegates. Although developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Over the focus was the education of women, the 100 delegates attended from the UK, Canada, topics were many and varied ranging from ‘New New Zealand, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Approaches to Literacy Learning’, ‘Indigenous and Cyprus, Slovenia, Greece, Finland and Texas. Mother Tongue Literacy Initiatives’ and ‘Reaching The conference programme took a holistic look the Most Vulnerable’ to ‘Education Problem- at research and practice through the lens of the Solving’ and ‘Digital Literacy’. It was this last group World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International to which the NHA had been invited to present Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and I spoke on behalf of the association on the (ICF) framework (WHO, 2012). Dr Hayley Leonard requested topic of ‘The Role of Handwriting in a gave an excellent opening keynote examining Digital Age’. It was the first time that handwriting executive functioning in children with DCD. Her

52 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 53 Conference Reviews (continued)

research found that executive function difficulties in difficulties in perceptually demanding scenarios typically developing peers at home but significantly with diagnosis and the use of self-report as well as children with poor motor skills persist throughout such as steering through a tunnel but were no differently at school and in the community and the lack suitable assessment tools. middle childhood and affect mostly nonverbal different to their peers in terms of speed, road participated less on social technology. domains. These difficulties can impact on activities positioning or collisions. Jenny Featherstone gave an inspiring presentation of daily living and academic achievement. Other Papers covering personal factors examined of the integrated service they provide in Sheffield presenters also examined executive functioning Professor Motohide Miyahara shared his thoughts the lived experience of adolescents with DCD, for children with DCD. This service has been in children with DCD demonstrating this was a on his systematic and meta-analytic review of parenting and health related quality of life. Dr running for 12 years, following a workshop I ran popular area of research. There was a call to interventions for DCD. The number of reviews has Sally Payne interviewed nine teenagers with DCD in Wakefield, so I was delighted to hear Jenny screen for mental health and executive functioning doubled in the past two years but concerns remain over time and found that self-efficacy emerged present this work. The occupational therapists in children with DCD and to develop strategies for about the rigour and methods of the studies. The as exerting a strong influence on participation in and physiotherapists merged their waiting lists behavioural and emotional regulation. Interestingly findings are published in a Cochrane review which activities of daily living and impacted on sense into a DCD team which included support staff. there were no papers examining motor function in calls for higher quality, carefully designed and of identity, agency, resilience and ambition. Getting the staffing and skill mix right was key the body structure and function sessions although executed research. Professor Jill Zwicker presented a cross sectional to success. Support staff produced good, Cara Law explored the issue of assessing adults study examining health related quality of life for motivational materials to support the children in Professor Jill Zwicker’s ground breaking research 50 children with DCD using the Kid-Screen-52. achieving their goals. They compiled lists of local in Higher Education including the lack of a suitable found neuroplastic changes, in the motor regions assessment of adult motor skills. Emily Ohlund Children with DCD had significantly lower scores in services and made sure the families were aware of the brain following Cognitive Orientation to 4/10 domains: psychological wellbeing, moods and of what was on offer locally. They encouraged called for adaptations for practical skills for MA Occupational Performance intervention. She students with DCD although she used the term emotions, parent relations/home life and school children to send “look at me now” videos of used brain imaging techniques of diffusion tensor life and school environment. They scored within themselves and developed a website with top tips dyspraxia as being preferred by the adults in her imaging and anatomical MRI to capture changes study. norms for the other six areas: physical wellbeing, and other information available at https://www. in white structural matter and connectivity following self-perception, autonomy, social support/peers, sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/services/dcd/. Professor The presentations in the activity section covered intervention. This research provides evidence social acceptance and financial resources. She Thomas Kourtessis from Democratis University handwriting, physical fitness, bike riding and that this intervention not only supports children to concluded that intervention needs to extend of Thrace outlined a “from research to practice” driving. Dr Mellissa Prunty compared handwriting achieve their goals but changes the way their brains beyond the motor domain to include mental health approach to motor assessment and intervention of three groups of children; those with DCD, function. and quality of life, targeting self-esteem, social skills is schools delivered by PE teachers. He used the dyslexia and typically development. The groups The papers on participation examined perceived and positive coping strategies. Movement Coach approach described by Sugden were comparable in terms of letters produced per scholastic competence, physical activity, and Henderson (2007) in the Ecological Intervention minute, execution speed and pauses. However, The section on societal factors covered the new manual provided with the Movement ABC-2. At and participation at home, school and in the Guidelines on DCD, a DCD participation focussed children with DCD and dyslexia demonstrated community. Professor Brent Faught’s nested case least half of the students improved their PE skills similar errors in terms of letter formation. She service in Sheffield and a school programme for and general motor behaviour and there has been control study found that academic performance of managing students with movement difficulties. Dr concluded this evidence supports explicit teaching children with DCD was worse than their typically a cultural shift in the schools’ approaches to motor of letter formation. Petra Braaksma and colleagues Anna Barnett and Professor David Sugden outlined difficulties. However, it took five years before the developing peers in all areas except maths (almost the new, updated international clinical guidelines from the University of Groningen study called significant), visual arts, drama, music and dance. changes were seen! We12Bfit found their family focused physical fitness on DCD from the European Academy of Childhood Vicky McQuillan’s study found that parents attitudes Disability which will be available soon and published The conference concluded with a powerful and intervention resulted in significant improvements to physical activity influences child participation. in cardiorespiratory fitness as well as increasing in Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. stimulating keynote from Professor Cheryl Missiuna Following the children over time found that those The new guidelines present evidence and on “Partnering for change (P4C): An evidence the children’s self-esteem, perseverance and scoring below the fifth percentile (on the Movement participation in physical activity. Professor Anna consensus based recommendations in the areas based, tiered model for school based services”. Assessment Battery for Children) tended to stay of mechanisms, assessment and intervention, as This revolutionary work from CanChild pioneers a Barnett presented the findings from a community there but those between the fifth and 15th tended based bike riding course demonstrating that non- before, but include two new areas; psycho-social school based approach by occupational therapists to improve. Professor Jill Zwicker’s study examined impact and adolescents and adults. Each area has which focuses on participation and environmental specialists can successfully teach the majority of participation of 81 children with DCD and co- children with movement difficulties to ride their bike a group working on reviewing the literature. The changes rather than targeting body functions. P4C morbid conditions using the recently published mechanisms group have had their review published made different use of money already available after 5 sessions spread over a week. Dr Judith Participation and Environment Measure – Child Gentle’s study used a driving simulator to compare and it will be summarised in the guidelines. The within the system and targeted building capacity and Youth (PEM-CY). Children with DCD and literature review for the adolescents/adults with through collaboration and coaching in context i.e. driving skills of young adults with DCD and controls. comorbid conditions participated similarly to their She found that young adults with DCD had more DCD found 33 articles which highlighted difficulties the OT working in the classroom not withdrawing

54 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 55 Conference Reviews (continued)

the child. The OT respects the expertise of the Dyspraxia Foundation and lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Cardiff Upcoming Conferences and educator and vice versa with the OTs learning University. She has many years’ experience of about the curriculum and conducting dynamic Professional Conference working with children, young people and adults Events assessments and coaching approaches. OTs with DCD. More recently she has completed do not conduct standardised assessments but March 2018 research on the impact of living with dyspraxia British Dyslexia Association International use curriculum based activities already in place Bristol (DCD) has on adults. Conference London (8th Nov 2018) to support children’s skill development. The three Independent Schools Show London (10/11th The Dyspraxia Foundation Professional Sally focused on the importance of children tiered approach considers; universal design for Conference is a biannual event which is held in Nov 2018) learning, good for all; targeted interventions, developing gross motor skills, balance and also different locations. Delegates are wide ranging body awareness and she covered some of the National Education Show Cardiff (16th Nov 2018) necessary for some and individualised intervention, from Occupational Therapists, teaching staff, essential for a few. Training modules for OTs are exercises and programmes which help to develop The Academies Show Birmingham (21st Nov learning support staff, specialist teachers, these skills. available on the CanChild website. The three members of PATOSS and many others. 2018) tiered approach is gaining popularity in the UK After lunch Mark Robinson gave a very moving London International Conference in Education, This year’s conference was titled “Opening Doors and is recommended by the Royal College presentation explaining how, not being identified Cambridge (10-13th Dec 2018) of Occupational Therapists for school based to Employment”. The day started with a keynote at school with dyspraxia had led to a difficult Northern Education Show Manchester (6th Feb occupational therapy. presentation from Professor Amanda Kirby time for him both as a child and young adult. It 2019) ‘Dyspraxia/DCD – current research to clinical highlighted in a very powerful and personal way, Reflecting on this excellent conference I noted practice including practical strategies‘. how many presenters shared their research the importance of dyspraxia training for teachers Eastern Education Show Newmarket (28th Feb questions and hypotheses which gave clarity to Professor Kirby is a GP who set up The Dyscovery and the serious consequences for children when 2019) the presentations. The drumming workshop at Centre in response to her son’s challenges with they are not identified and supported at school. The Education Show NEC Birmingham (14/16th lunchtime on the last day was inspired and uplifting dyspraxia (DCD Developmental Coordination His presentation had many delegates in tears and March 2019) with Professor Motohide Miyahara also giving us Disorder) which now has an international yet was also amusing with his quirky sense of Naidex Show Birmingham (26/27th March 2019) an impromptu show. Professor Sheila Henderson reputation for its clinical and research work. She humour. Handwriting struggles were a major part gave the closing remarks and overview of three has written many books and research papers of his difficulties in school. His diagnosis came in PATOSS Conference London (30th Mar 2019) conference themes: models, directions of arrows on DCD and has spoken both nationally and adulthood and from there on, he worked hard at turning his life around. The Southern Education Show Basingstoke and interventions. The models included the ICF, internationally on her extensive work in this field. (June 2019) P4C, Morton and Bronfenbrenner, all multi-level, Whilst she is a very professional and academic Following afternoon tea, Dr Mellissa Prunty did Occupational Therapy Show at the NEC (17-19th dynamic models. Development needs to be speaker, she also shows a very human side as a a presentation “DCD - A Focus on Handwriting”. June 2019) considered in any model we use but it is hard to mother. This was a very interesting presentation about build this in. The direction of arrows in models, Royal College of Occupational Therapists Prof Kirby ‘s presentation looked at where Dr Prunty’s research around the impact of DCD uni or bi-directional is important and encourages Annual Conference, Birmingham (17/18th June dyspraxia is now in terms of research and clinical on handwriting for children. She compared two us to think more fundamentally. Sheila posed groups of children, Typically Developing and those 2019) the question whether randomised controlled practice. She mentioned and explained various motor skill screening tools and diagnostic criteria. with Developmental Coordination Disorder, looking RCOT Children, Young People and Families trials (RCTs) are the way forward for studying at various elements of handwriting. I found her interventions wondering what is missed by RCTs. She emphasised that co-occurrence with other Conference London (19/20th September 2019) conditions is more likely to occur in a person with investigation into when children pause particularly She noted that executive functioning is fashionable enlightening. NASEN Live 2019 TBC but encouraged us not to forget about motor as DCD than not. She looked at the whole impact Fifth Writing Research Across Borders the core deficit in DCD. The next DCD International on a young person, not just the motor difficulties All in all, an excellent conference. Conference in 2020! conference will be held in Jyväskylä, Finland 5th- and how that transfers into adulthood. A very Cathy Parvin, 8th June with a theme of bridging the disciplines informative session. Dyspraxia Education https://www.jyu.fi/en/congress/dcd13 The second speaker was Sally Scott-Roberts Carolyn Dunford – ‘Developing, Refining and Maintaining Gross Motor Skills‘. Sally is an Occupational Therapist

56 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 57 NHA News

Compiled by Wendy Cumines, Karen Nichols & Hilary Cook NHA Members Day and AGM Friday 22nd June 2018 The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, London

This year’s member’s day commenced with a focus usual several corporate members displayed their on the future of handwriting in the digital age. Dr products for perusal during the lunch break. Angela Webb (Chair) welcomed the 55 members in attendance and began with a thought provoking The AGM this year also marked the formal stepping look at past, present and future perceptions of down of several other committee members, the role of handwriting. Interestingly, in the 1990’s Bob and Laraine Erhlanderr Lawrence and Mary handwriting was perceived as a dying art, yet Howard. Thanks were given in recognition of the currently handwriting remains the primary means valuable contributions they have made to the NHA of recording at school with more recognition being and all will be greatly missed. Mellissa Prunty was given to the evidenced links between handwriting appointed as the new Chair along with Wendy and other aspects of literacy development, Cumines and Emma Sumner as joint vice-chairs. academic performance and emotional wellbeing. The position of honorary treasure is currently vacant although interest has been shown and a new An interesting Keynote presentation by Isabelle appointment is anticipated in the coming months. Vandevyvere, (Lecturer from Artevelde University College, Ghent, Belgium) followed on the use of Children from the winning (Hillingdon Manor) and apps and tablets for handwriting. She illustrated runner-up (Peover Superior) schools of the NHA through several mini case studies her experience handwriting day competition delivered uplifting and of using apps as a motivational and therapeutic inspiring presentations in the afternoon on how they tool to develop handwriting and writing skills in learn and develop handwriting performance in their children with learning disabilities. She stressed the schools. The audience were treated to seeing the importance of helping children develop functional children, their teachers and occupational therapists written communication skills in the digital age share their enthusiasm for developing handwriting such as text messaging, emails, and a social through a motivating range of approaches such media identity. Some limitations of using tablets as a ‘Busy Hands’ group and ‘Handwriting were considered and strategies to improve the Bootcamps’. Feedback from all in attendance was ergonomic factors were shared. One very useful tip that this session was the highlight of the day. involved the use of fingerless gloves so that the side The day ended with a useful plenary where of the child’s hand did not inadvertently activate the members were asked to offer suggestions on the touch screen. Links to useful apps were provided future direction of the NHA. Many expressed that which lead to audience discussion on the strengths they would like to see website development to and limitations of apps they had used. include a members’ discussion forum for sharing The lunch break this year was particularly of ideas and advice. Some discussion focussed on noteworthy as a presentation and speech was how to promote awareness of the NHA and further made to mark the end of Dr Angela Webb’s 12 development of regional handwriting interest groups. years as Chairperson of the NHA. Members Date for diary: Next NHA Members Day Saturday were treated to cake and prosecco to toast 15th June 2019. the occasion. Although Angela remains on the executive committee her contribution as Chair has Wendy Cumines been immense and she will be greatly missed. As Vice Chair of the NHA

58 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 59 NHA News (continued)

Replaced by Wendy Cumines Minutes of the National Handwriting Proposed by Pamela Hulme. Seconded by Mary Howard. Association Annual General Meeting Agreed unanimously. Vice-Chair IOM3 (The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining) Catherine Elsey stood down as Vice-Chair. 297 Euston Road, London NW1 3AQ 22nd June 2018 Replaced by Emma Sumner Proposed by Bob Erhlanderr-Lawrence. Seconded by Amanda McLeod. Apologies for absence Agreed unanimously. Lesley Harding, Emma Sumner. Honorary Treasurer Bob Erhlanderr-Lawrence stood down. Minutes of the 2017 AGM The post remains vacant for the present. These were approved, accepted and signed. A possible replacement has been found and this person will attend the next quarterly meeting of the NHA Executive Committee. Matters arising There will be a formal election at the 2019 AGM. None Honorary Secretary: Hilary Cook. Approval of 2017 Accounts Proposed by Cathy Parvin. Seconded by Wendy Cumines. The accounts were approved unanimously. Agreed unanimously. The Committee. Chairman’s Report (attached) Charlotte Clowes, Mary Howard, Bob and Laraine Erhlanderr-Lawrence, Holly Swinton and Michelle van Rooyen are standing down. Handwriting Tutors The remainder of the committee were returned en bloc, unanimously. The matter of reinstating the Tutor List can be discussed in the future should there be a feeling that there is a real need for it. Amendment to the Constitution No other additional points were raised. A proposed amendment to the constitution on the Termination of Membership had been circulated to the membership in advance of the meeting. The proposal was voted upon and the amendment was Treasurer’s Report (see attached accounts and report) passed unanimously. No additional points were raised. Any Other Business Election of Officers and Members to the Executive Committee A presentation was made to Mary Howard and to Laraine and Bob Erhlanderr-Lawrence. They were Chair thanked for the very considerable contribution they had made to the work of the NHA. They will be much missed. Angela Webb stood down as Chair. Rosemary Summers sent her very best wishes to everyone at the NHA. She is retiring and has a Replaced by Mellissa Prunty number of teaching materials that she would like to offer to any members who might be interested. Proposed by Catherine Elsey. Seconded by Carolyn Dunford. Karen Nicholas has Rosemary’s contact details. Agreed unanimously. Vice-Chair Date of the next AGM Mellissa Prunty stood down as Vice-Chair. Saturday 15th June 2019

60 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 61 NHA News (continued)

Mellissa Prunty’s work with her students, and of the Charities Commission restricting the Chairman’s Report we have also been working with Lina Read of amount of work we can do. Many of you have a Communicate-Ed with whom we are developing great deal to offer in the field of handwriting and National Handwriting Association AGM a partnership with for course delivery. As I may feel able to contribute help in terms of time, 22nd June 2018 speak, we have 10 teaching topics near editorial knowledge, ideas, etc. At the end of today we completion and our hope is to have these available shall be asking members to comment on three in the autumn of this year. questions: Are you happy with the work the NHA You may remember I reported last year that we had held a most currently does? What do you think NHA should successful two-day Away-day for the executive committee in September Whilst we believe that these teaching focus on in the coming months/years? How could developments will both streamline the you contribute to supporting/extending this work? 2016. The purpose of this meeting was to address some basic dissemination of information and enable more questions: the future of handwriting, the role the NHA now and in the people to benefit from our expertise, it is not our Regional groups activity may change slightly intention that face-to-face contact should be this year with changes in NHA personnel. The future, and to look critically both at what we felt NHA did well and entirely phased out. We will continue to respond setting up and the maintaining these groups additional or alternative work we should be engaged with. Against the to requests for individual NHA deliverers to visit has been found to depend upon the drive and schools and clinics. However, the INSET model enthusiasm of particular individuals. The personal background of those discussions, the year from May 2017 to June 2018 we see working best is a combined approach, circumstances of two of our groups’ leaders have has been one of development and change. for schools and clinics able to download topics of recently changed which may affect their ability relevance to share with their teams and then call to remain involved. However, new groups are on NHA to provide a short follow-up visit to help constantly emerging in new areas and we always There was a unanimous view from the executive presence. Recognising that the website is central them personalize the ideas. The progress for this welcome initiatives from individuals who would like that both handwriting and the NHA were still to our work, Phase 3 of the website development model is on-going and adaptations will be made to start up something in their own geographical relevant in children’s lives and that what we plan must become a priority. Led by Emma according to the feedback we get from users. or professional area. I’m sure you agree that our are currently engaged with is, in the most part, Sumner, we have sought the views of teachers, annual journal continues to be both interesting and important and influential. However, as the title of therapists, students, about the developments they We recognize that changes such as those informative. Mellissa Prunty as editor, together with this years Members’ Day meeting illustrates, the felt were important and plans are underway to mentioned may have an impact on our her section editors, Emma Sumner, Ewan Clayton, focus of work now and in the middle distance make appropriate changes. The website will be international presence. Already this year, as well Laraine Erlanderr-Lawrence and Cathy Parvin are will be to place handwriting appropriately within a updated in terms of design and content, and also delivering in-service training across the UK, we working hard to produce a journal of consistently digital environment. Pen and paper may be taking in an increase in functions for example, interactive have run courses in Galway in Ireland, Bergen in high standard. The focus this year will again be a lower priority in certain areas of adult society elements. The changes will demand funding Norway and also in Malta. Our European Forum the interface between handwriting and digital but it remains central to others, and we have to and having taken advice on how much we need links remain in place. We continue to engender technology. continue to be vigilant that we are keeping abreast – roughly £15,000 - £20,000 - we are currently interest from all over the world so this trend may with how we can best contribute. following up some leads for sponsorship. The rate increase. In the light of these developments, the We have decided, after much thought and and scale of the developments relate exactly to the possibility of an International class of membership consultation to end offering our list of handwriting The most crucial changes highlighted at the funds we can raise - so any ideas will be helpful. may have to be considered. Furthermore, do we tutors. Mary Howard has run this most diligently Away-day were more to do with modes of continue as the National Handwriting Association? over several years but there are many ways in delivery than what we actually do – how best we Along similar moves, we are reviewing the content Who knows? which we have found it unsatisfactory. First, should be disseminating our message and how of all the publications we currently offer and are although we receive a constant stream of well we are keeping up with the communication considering offering much more online, including Membership remains steady this year in all requests, we cannot always match families with revolution arising from the massive developments the journal. In future hard copies may be sent only categories and we welcome the addition of tutors in their area. The tutors seem to cluster in technology. Young people use different modes on request. Not only has this become something Schneider to our list of corporate members. A around the main cities in the south of England of receiving and sharing information and use we think you all expect but the move will save suggestion made at the executive Away-day and we have failed to attract tutors across the this to guide their behaviour and form opinions money considerably. A further development is was perhaps to harness more of the enthusiasm UK. Second, many of the requests we receive around their own personal and global futures. To that we are working towards offering many of our and expertise which exists within our general are from parents who believe that, because of reflect these changes, we have put an emphasis courses and our in-service training online. We membership. The number of committee members our charitable status, we are offering help for this past year on how best to develop our online have taken advice from Brunel University, through is small and remains limited under the constraints free. When they learn that the lessons will have

62 Handwriting Today Handwriting Today 63 Providing you with the NHA News (continued) tools you need to help

clients of all ages © AL1350015 Pearson Education Ltd Assessments for OTs to be paid for they often fail to take up the offers. 15 years have been definitive in the recognition Finally, there is the vexed question of whether or of the importance of handwriting in the lives of how we vet tutors and check their credentials/ children. I believe that it is a real achievement standards of practice. For these reasons we sadly on all our parts that handwriting has been kept acknowledge that we do not have the human alive during a time of dramatic technological Child Perception and resources to continue to offer this service. change. Handwriting’s survival has at many times Visuomotor Abilities Adult General Abilities been questioned and our role in supporting 3–16 years 11 months 12–89 years Our relations with comparable charities continue, the research into its benefits and spreading the the Dyspraxia Foundation, DCD UK, PATOSS word among those at the coalface cannot be and Movement Matters. Following uncertainty underestimated. We are all custodians of this over the future of the Dyslexia Action we have unique and precious skill and should continue to made approaches to develop links with the British be so. Child Sensory Adult Rehabilitation Dyslexia Association. However, we have now Birth–14 years 11 months learned that Dyslexia Action continue under the I would like to acknowledge the work of all 40 years and older Real Group and are offering postgraduate and committee members, all of the membership. I View our full range at pearsonclinical.co.uk/OTrange CPD courses which include writing so we hope to want to thank them and our salaried officers, Y058 re-establish links there. Karen Nicholas and Jonathan Berry, for their

commitment, loyalty and immense hard work Y058_Clinical_advert_130x186.indd 1 7/26/18 1:15 PM There are a number of personnel changes taking over the past year and at all times. I give them all place at this meeting. Some members of the my sincere thanks. We are a handwriting family executive have decided to retire. In two cases and community - a group of friends as well as these bring changes to named officers requiring colleagues which I feel immensely honoured replacement (see later). These include Bob and to have been part of. I wish NHA and all who Laraine Erlanderr-Lawrence, Mary Howard, work within it my very best wishes for continuing Charlotte Clowes and myself. Bob, Laraine and success. Mary have been stalwart contributors to NHA for some years, both in their practical contributions (finance, INSET, the journal and the tutor list) and in their critical understanding of handwriting and how it should be nurtured. Although Charlotte joined us more recently, she has given us an invaluable window on the work inside primary schools and 5 with her new headship she will continue to advise us but as a co-opted member of the committee. I have been the beneficiary on many occasions of all their wisdoms and could not have done my job as chair without their guidance and good sense. I would also like to acknowledge the work of Michele Von Rooyen and Holly Swinton, who left the committee earlier this year. Michele put in a great deal of time upgrading our publicity and Holly’s ideas and innovation gave food for thought. Our thanks go to them both. For my part, having been on the committee for 20 years and in the chair for the last 12, I am stepping down to allow younger talent to take over. The last

64 Handwriting Today    

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   

  Handwriting Today – Number 17, 2018 Published by the National Handwriting Association Registered Charity Number: 1051157