Clinical Trial: Effectiveness of a Handwriting Intervention
Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Effectiveness of a Handwriting Intervention With At-Risk Kindergarteners
Brief Summary: The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of an occupational therapy led handwriting intervention for special education and at-risk kindergarten students.
Detailed Summary:
In spite of the increased use of computers and tablets by children of younger and younger ages, handwriting remains an important skill for school success and continues to be a critical skill for elementary school students to acquire. Beginning writers still do most of their composing by hand, and difficulties with handwriting can have far-reaching effects on a child's self esteem and academic success.
This study examined the effectiveness of an occupational therapy led handwriting intervention for special education and at-risk kindergarten students. There is a tremendous need for studies examining the outcomes of handwriting instruction provided to the at-risk population, in order to determine whether outcomes are similar to those seen in the typically developing population. There is also a need for studies that examine outcomes in "real world" settings, in addition to those settings manipulated for experimental research. Such studies may not be as "clean" as those in classic experimental research, however it is imperative to examine outcomes in the settings that are occurring in today's schools. At-risk children are increasingly being provided intensive interventions under an RtI model, and children receiving special education services are increasingly being integrated into less restrictive settings, thus creating classroom environments with a wide variety of students needs.
The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes of a handwriting intervention, the Size Matters Handwriting Program (SMHP), provided to kindergarten children currently receiving IEP or RtI interventions. This study attempted to answer the following research questions:
- Will at-risk kindergarteners (those children receiving IEP or RtI support) par
Sponsor: Temple University
Current Primary Outcome: Change in the Test of Handwriting Skills-Revised (THS-R) after 16 weeks [ Time Frame: Before and after 30 sessions completed twice a week for 16 weeks ]
A standardized assessment of handwriting which can be administered to students ages six to 18 (Milone, 2007). There are ten subtests which include writing letters and numbers from memory, writing letters, numbers and words from dictation, copying letters, copying words, copying short sentences, and writing short words from dictation (Milone, 2007).
Original Primary Outcome: Same as current
Current Secondary Outcome: Change in the North Dakota Title I Kindergarten Reading Standards Assessment (Letter Identification Subtest after 16 weeks [ Time Frame: Before and after 30 sessions completed twice a week for 16 weeks ]
The North Dakota Kindergarten Reading Standards Assessment is aligned with North Dakota State Standards and consists of a number of subtests including: letter identification, word recognition, concepts about print, and sentence dictation. The assessment was designed as a tool for teachers and educational in selecting Title I students or assessing student achievement.
Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current
Information By: Temple University
Dates:
Date Received: November 18, 2015
Date Started: September 2014
Date Completion:
Last Updated: November 30, 2015
Last Verified: November 2015
