None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
‘The Secret Code’ is a novel occupational therapy handwriting programme. It follows the principals of orthographic development, which has been associated with creating significant and lasting change, for children who have challenges learning to write the letters of the alphabet. Handwriting difficulty is the most common reason for referral to occupational therapists who service young school age children. Currently, occupational therapy intervention is most often based on a motor learning perspective, using specific task training, practise and fine motor training. Evidence indicating the successful generalization of handwriting skills learned in therapy is scarce. With 10-34% of children in schools identified as failing to develop proficient handwriting, further research into this area to determine successful ways to help these children, is essential. This study aims to provide evidence to support further research into inclusion of orthographic processing in the traditional handwriting intervention.
Interventions
Phase A - Samples of the child's writing is taken from class to measure and as well the child will visit the researcher (experienced occupational therapist) where they will be recorded writing the alphabet and a sentence. This will occur over a minimum of 3 weeks and no more than 6 weeks, to determine a stable baseline of the child's writing performance from in class handwriting instruction.
Phase B - The intervention being tested, is the 'Secret Code', a novel orthographic handwriting program
Phase A - Samples of the child's writing is taken from class to measure and as well the child will visit the researcher (experienced occupational therapist) where they will be recorded writing the alphabet and a sentence. This will occur over a minimum of 3 weeks and no more than 6 weeks, to determine a stable baseline of the child's writing performance from in class handwriting instruction. Phase B - The intervention being tested, is the 'Secret Code', a novel orthographic handwriting programme, to help children in year one or two, who are having difficulty learning to write. The children will visit the researcher (experienced occupational therapist), for an individual one-on-one session, twice a week for ten weeks, for forty five minute sessions. The "Secret Code' intervention includes - Teaching the children the eight shape components that alphabet letters are constructed from and ensure they understand direction, orientation and the colour and name of each of these shapes The children then learn how each alphabet letter is constructed with these stroke component shapes. Because many children with difficulty learning to write have memory problems, this step utilises memory strategies such as association, stories and colour. Once this step has been achieved the children learn how these shape components are placed on the dotted third lined paper and this is a crucial step that ensures legibility of their writing. From here children learn the concepts necessary to write a legible sentence such as the spaces necessary between letters in words, spaces between words and punctuation. Slowly the programme layers on new learning to help children learn how to write longer text. The first steps mentioned are what will be taught in the research study. There is no technology used, just teaching and using writing instruments. Second Phase A - This phase is similar to the first Phase A and will begin six weeks after the conclusion of the Phase B (intervention phase) and will occur over three weeks. During this phase, like with the first Phase A, a minimum of six samples of the child's writing will be collected and recorded, Samples will be taken from in class writing activities and also the researcher will observe the children writing the alphabet and a sentence, This phase is to determine if the child's handwriting performance post the intervention phase has been maintained or changed in anyway when they have returned to classroom teaching alone.
Sponsors
Kathryn Mathwin
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Other
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
6 Years to 8 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Once consent has been received from the parents for their child to participate in the study, the child will be screened to determine if they fit the criteria for eligibility to be included in the research. The eligibility for the inclusion in the study is Attend regular primary schools and be in grade one or two. Have no known neurological deficits or diagnosis such physical impairment, vision impaired, hearing impaired, speech impaired, intellectual delay or autism. Score 60% or less on the Stage One of the Mastery of the PRPP assessment of writing the alphabet.
Exclusion criteria
If the child does not meet the inclusion criteria - not in the correct age bracket have a diagnosis (as listed in the inclusion criteria) unable to speak fluent English score above 60 % on the Stage One of the Mastery of the PRPP assessment of writing the alphabet.
Outcome results
None listed