Handwriting : an exploration of foundational skills / by Karen Pontello.

Abstract

"Latent Class Analyses were used to identify two Latent Classes from a sample population of 200 students with slow handwriting who were referred to occupational therapy because of difficulties keeping up with the writing demands of the classroom. The underlying foundational handwriting skills of developmental hand skills, visual perception, visual motor skills, upper limb speed and dexterity, letter motor memory, handwriting legibility and letter formation skills were used to determine that Latent Class One and Latent Class Two exist within the data gathered from the students' occupational therapy clinical files. A one way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that Latent Class One and Latent Class Two were statistically different from each other. Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) as follow up to the MANOVA identified that Latent Class One was different from Latent Class Two in all of the foundational handwriting skill areas except upper limb speed and dexterity. Letter motor memory skills were associated with 79% of the variance between the Two Latent Classes. Letter formation skills were associated with 37% of the variance between Latent Class One and Latent Class Two. Handwriting legibility was associated with 27% of the variance between the Latent Classes. Developmental hand skills, visual motor skills, and visual perceptual skills were associated with a smaller yet still significant percentage of the variance between the Latent Classes."--from Abstract