About this resource
Handwriting difficulties can hide what a student knows. This checklist prompts teachers and occupational therapists to consider seating and posture, paper and tools, spacing and layout supports, practice approaches, fatigue management and alternatives such as typing or speech to text.
Purpose
To identify practical supports that reduce the effort of written work and help students show what they know.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Occupational therapists. Also relevant for educators and school support staff.
Client or participant group: Primary and secondary students who find handwriting effortful, and their teachers.
Practice setting: Classrooms, with guidance from an occupational therapist.
Suggested uses
- Planning classroom supports with an OT
- Discussing adjustments with families
- Reviewing supports each term
- Supporting assessment adjustments
Instructions for practitioners
- Observe the student writing in class before choosing supports.
- Trial one or two supports at a time.
- Consider alternatives for longer written tasks.
- Review with the student and OT each term.
Instructions for clients or participants
- Try the supports.
- Tell your teacher what helps.
Accessibility considerations
Involve the student in choosing supports. Consider fatigue and pain as well as legibility.
Scope and limitations
A practical checklist. It is not a handwriting assessment and does not replace individual occupational therapy assessment.
Research basis
Occupational therapy approaches that practise real tasks, including handwriting instruction, have the strongest evidence for children with disabilities. Explicit teaching of writing strategies improves students' writing.
- Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). A meta-analysis of writing instruction for adolescent students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(3), 445–476. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.3.445
- Novak, I., & Honan, I. (2019). Effectiveness of paediatric occupational therapy for children with disabilities: A systematic review. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(3), 258–273. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12573
- Santangelo, T., & Graham, S. (2016). A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Handwriting Instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2), 225–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9335-1
What is included
A 3-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced.
