Relationships between handwriting components and underlying perceptual-motor functions among students during copying and dictation tasks

The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelations between legibility of handwriting, atomistic factors, handwriting speed, and perceptual-motor body functions. The authors aimed to determine the contribution of these factors in predicting students' handwriting performance during copying and dictation and to assess performance differences under both of these writing conditions. The handwriting performance of 35 third graders with writing difficulties and 35 control subjects was assessed during copying and dictation. The control group performed significantly better on all measures during both copying and dictation. Only overall legibility predicted handwriting performance during copying, whereas both speed and overall legibility predicted handwriting performance during dictation. Only spatial organization significantly predicted overall legibility for both groups and conditions. The findings suggest that handwriting speed and overall legibility are separate constructs and that different components underlie writing during copying and dictation. These results have clinical implications for handwriting evaluation and intervention.