Using the Minnesota Handwriting Assessment and Handwriting Checklist in Screening First and Second Graders' Handwriting Legibility

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine appropriate screening tools for schoolbased therapists to use in assessing handwriting difficulties in children. Using the Minnesota Handwriting Assessment (MHA), this study examines the ranges of legibility of handwriting in typically-developing first and second grade students. Also, it evaluated whether the Handwriting Checklist that documents students' posture, tool use, grasp, and other components during the writing task accurately predicts legibility. Regression analyses found that the four Handwriting Checklist variables accounted for 23% of the variance in the legibility variable on the MHA test.

Handwriting Without Tears versus Teacher-Designed Handwriting Instruction in First Grade Classrooms

“…Roston et al (2008) cautions that "scoring Well Below Peers in one area of the MHA should not be used as a guide to recommend services and no one test should be a single decision-making tool for school-based services" (p. 108). Reisman (1999) explains that a low score in one quality category should precipitate a further look at a student and her or his handwriting and recommends that legibility and form be a priority for remediation.…”

“…The MHA (Reisman, 1999) is a norm-referenced evaluation tool that possesses recognized psychometric properties (Roston, Hinojosa, & Kaplan, 2008). The MHA assesses D'Nealian or manuscript handwriting for first and second grade students, including the five quality categories of legibility, form, alignment, size, and spacing, along with assessing the students' rate of handwriting.…”

“…The MHA assesses D'Nealian or manuscript handwriting for first and second grade students, including the five quality categories of legibility, form, alignment, size, and spacing, along with assessing the students' rate of handwriting. It can be used to determine students' progress by comparing scores of multiple tests over time to show effectiveness of instructional programs, interventions, or simply students' maturation (Cornhill & Case-Smith, 1996;Feder & Majnemer, 2003;Reisman, 1999;Roston et al, 2008). Roston and colleagues concluded that the MHA is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing handwriting in typical first and second graders in a general education classroom (2008).…”

“…Literature has reported that the amount of learning expected during the school day to meet student outcomes continues to increase, burdening an already crowded daily classroom schedule (Asher, 2006;Donica, 2010;Roston et al, 2008). HWT teachers were not consistent in implementing the lessons when the school day was altered by special programs or other lessons that were highly valued.…”

Improving a Child's Writing Skills for Increased Attention to Academic Activities

“…The components of writing include hand strength, kinesthetic awareness in fingers and hands, dexterity, eye-hand coordination, motor planning, and orthographic coding (S. J. Amundson & Weil, 2006, Berninger et al, 2006Marr, Windsor, & Cermack, 2001;Roston, Hinojosa, & Kaplan, 2008;Weil & Asmundson, 1994;Woodward & Swinth, 2002;Volman, van Schendel & Jongmans, 2006). Orthographic coding is defined as the letter forms that are housed in memory and retrieved from memory in order to create letters by hand (Berninger et al, 2006).…”