Abstract

This study was conducted to answer the question: “Does writing in prone result in more legible handwriting?” due to the prevalence of the prone position used in occupational therapy as a handwriting intervention and the lack of data supporting it. The study participants included 43 kindergarteners divided into an intervention group and control group based on convenience through classroom enrollment. The intervention or prone group did at least three prone activities a week for three weeks and the control group followed their normal handwriting curriculum. A pre-posttest of each group was performed using the Handwriting Without Tears Screener of Handwriting Proficiency. Based on the pre-posttest paired t-tests for each group, both groups had a significant improvement in memory, and just the prone group displayed a significant increase in placement, sentence, and total scores. The results of the prone minus control pre-post difference independent t-test showed that the prone group had a significant improvement in placement, sentence, and total scores. Despite the results displaying a positive relationship between writing in prone and legibility, these results cannot be generalized to a larger population based on the studies limitations in its evaluations, intervention, and participant populations.

Semester/Year of Award

Spring 5-6-2022

Mentor

Julie Duckart

Mentor Department Affiliation

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Access Options

Open Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

IRB Approval Number (if applicable)

4422

Presentation

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ogIoRJN0-_ZPMj7AIqoIKXgmZwl2c2M9pF5aUq6hiz8/edit?usp=sharing

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