Collaborative instruction and Handwriting Without Tears^®: A strong foundation for kindergarten learning

ABSTRACT

Handwriting is a foundational skill students use throughout each school day. Occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to assist teachers and students in the occupational task of handwriting. This intervention combined a collaborative teaching model and the use of Handwriting Without Tears^® to teach lower case letter writing to two classrooms of kindergarteners. Pre- and posttesting with The Print Tool^® indicated statistically and clinically significant gains on lower case letter memory and overall letter alignment. Teachers reported positive outcomes resulting from collaboration with the occupational therapist. These results support the effectiveness of collaborative instruction using Handwriting Without Tears^® with kindergarten students.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupational therapy
• handwriting
• handwriting without tears^®
• collaboration
• consultation
• kindergarten
• teachers
• response to intervention