PUB TYPE Journal Articles (080)

Handwriting is an integral part of every child's school experience. In order to provide the best program to children both with and without handwriting problems, elementary educators need to understand the factors underlying the skill of handwriting. This study investigated the relationship between the cognitive understanding of locatives (e.g., words used for spatial and temporal concepts, such as "up " or "next to") and the graphomotor task of shape and letter copying in typically developing kindergarten children. Additionally, changes in those skills during the kindergarten year were examined. The Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, and the Scale of Children's Readiness In PrinTing were administered to a sample of 138 children during the first and second half of their kindergarten year. The findings showed a significant increase in performance on all three measures from time one to time two. The relationships among the three tests varied. A moderate positive relationship between the visuomotor and handwriting test was found. This result supports previous findings that link visuomotor skills to handwriting. All other relationships were low. This study adds to a growing body of knowledge about the prerequisite skills needed for handwriting. (Contains 51 references.) (Author/HTH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document