An “explosion” in the number of Border children presenting to occupational therapists with poor fine motor skills has prompted an Albury researcher to conduct an Australia-first study into writing abilities.
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Charles Sturt University literacy studies senior lecturer Noella Mackenzie is gathering submissions from teachers and parents across the country to investigate an apparent decline in the skill.
“This study is trying to pull together what is happening in Australia,” she said.
“Occupational therapists are seeing children with fine motor skills and handwriting problems.”
Mobile Kids O.T. founder Rebecca Spokes specialises in the area and said cases had steadily grown to 25 to 30 children a week.
“I get them in kinder, grade one and two, where they can’t hold a pencil,” she said.
“I see a lot of older kids who struggle in the classroom – they can’t get their thoughts on to paper and are failing exams because teachers can’t read their writing.”
Ms Spokes said she expected the study to reveal variation across schools.
“I have some teachers who have a really clear understanding of the importance of handwriting, right through to teachers that tell me ‘why bother?’,” she said.
“I think part of it starts before school – kids today don’t do a lot of drawing and painting.”
Dr Mackenzie agreed initial observations indicated a lack of consensus in schools on handwriting and keyboard training.
“There will be some prioritising writing through to some who are throwing their hands up,” she said.
“Our children do need to learn how to use digital literacy, however handwriting is still important.
“I’m worried we will have kids who aren’t able to do either.”
Dr Mackenzie said writing was crucial for memory retention.
“If you were writing the letter X with a pen and the letter T, you make different movements,” she said.
“But if you type those letters, the feedback you get from your fingers is the same.
“There is definitely research to show children learn better in that process of writing the letter.”
Dr Mackenzie will collaborate her findings before vising Finland, where handwriting is not taught beyond the first year of school.
Teachers and parents can make submissions until June 30 at www.research.net/r/Handwriting_CSU.
