Poor Handwriting and Disorganized?

Executive functions (EF) and their connection with learning and behavior have been researched extensively in recent years. In 2010, Rosenblum et. al. explored the relationship between organizational abilities, a component of EF, and handwriting performance, a required academic task. This study investigated handwriting and organizational abilities in children with dysgrphia compared to proficient handwriters.

Handwriting is a required academic task, and it is important to academic performance because illegible handwriting can lead to lower marks on handwritten assignments. Since 10-34% of children have poor handwriting and are identified as dysgraphic, the researchers wanted to learn more about the relationship between dysgraphia and organizational abilities.

The researchers used a performance-based measure and two questionnaires to assess handwriting performance and organizational abilities in 58 males aged 7-8 years recruited from the 1st and 2nd grades in regular public schools in northern Israel. All of the students were native Israelis, and Hebrew was their primary language. The researchers found that children with dysgraphia performed lower on measures of handwriting performance, organizational ability, and time management than students who were proficient at handwriting. The researchers also noted that while other studies claim motor functions are the underlying mechanism affecting handwriting performance, this study shows that organizational ability, a component of executive functions, is a factor in handwriting performance.

This study has implications for tutors who work with students with dysgraphia at all ages. Since this study demonstrated a correlation between an academic task, handwriting, and a component of EF, organization, it seems reasonable to conclude that students with dysgraphia should be taught executive function strategies to help them plan their ideas before writing. Students should also be given a computer to type their work to reduce motor demands and increase the readability of their written work. By teaching students executive function skills and decreasing motor demands and illegibility, I think overall student performance would improve on matters involving the production of written language reinforced with private SAT tutoring. 

Reference:

Rosenblum, S., Aloni, T., & Josman, N. (2010). Relationships between handwriting performance and organizational abilities among children with and without dysgraphia: A preliminary study. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31 (2), 502-509.