Phase 2 Study Data:
How Quickly Does the HTW Impact on the Quality of Children’s Handwriting in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2?
Aim of the Study: Extending the findings from the study data in Phase 1, it was decided to change the sample collections from twice a year to every 6 weeks so we could evaluate the rate at which the quality of children’s handwriting improved using the Hemispheres Think Write Handwriting Programme.
Method: All children within two schools (Yateley Manor School and Hall Grove School) were asked to copy a prescribed pangram. Samples were taken every 6 weeks following a baseline sample for 24 weeks. The samples were collated and then scored against the same 25-quality statement used in Phase 1, giving each child a total score of 25.
The 25 statements were categorised into 5 subsections: legibility, size, script, reversals and spatial placement.
Sample: The children were matched for age and gender, and all schools participating were within the independent sector. Samples were taken from 216 children across both schools, 144 were boys and 72 were girls.
Findings: The final scores for all children were compared using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with fixed effects for school, gender and year. When comparing the final scores of each sample taken at 6 week intervals, a statistically significant result (p=<0.0001) was achieved showing that children made significant improvement in the quality of handwriting between each sample. In general the greatest level of change in the scores is noticed at review 2 (12 weeks) and 4 (24 weeks) with no significant change noted at review 3 (18 weeks). The level of progress between review 3 and review 4 is superior at review 4. This translated indicates that children using the Hemispheres Think Write make significant improvement in the quality of their handwriting from the baseline within 24 weeks from starting the programme.
In Summary: The results of this study indicate that children make significant improvement in the quality of their handwriting within 24 weeks from starting the Hemispheres Think Write Programme. The improvements observed in using the Think Write programme are consistent across both schools, all year groups tested (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) and were equal between boys and girls. Reversal followed by script has the biggest change from the baseline improving legibility, with more variability noted in size and spatial placement.
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