Ricerc@Sapienza

Background and aim
Handwriting is a complex task and requires integration of cognition, graphomotor skills and Executive Functions.
The role of handwriting automation and EF in the writing process is known primarily from school-based
studies: there is a relationship between handwriting and EF in learning writing skills, particularly in the early
years of primary school. The link between the emerging writing skills and EF in pre-schoolers isn’t so evident
though. Identifying the relationship between these skills can help provide better support for children
who have handwriting difficulties, as well as children with DCD. The purpose of this study was to examine
and describe the relationship of pre-handwriting skills and the EF in pre-schoolers, such as Working Memory
and Planning/Organization of the actions involved in the handwriting process. The study aimed to outline the
developmental progress and possible gender effects underlying the processes.
Method
166 typical developing pre-schoolers (aged 39 to 71 months) performed Shore Handwriting Screening (SHS),
an assessment tool to evaluate pre-handwriting in children through tasks like drawing, colouring, copying of
images and letters and cutting. 60 of them (aged 39 to 59 months) performed the Executive Function Battery
for pre-schoolers (BAFE), this 4-task test consists of stroop-effect cards, pattern-making, card-sorting and ’spin
the pots’. Meanwhile, parents answered the Behavior Rating Index of Executive Function (BRIEF-P).
Results
The results showed significant age and gender effects in pre-handwriting skills: older children performed significantly
better than younger children and girls performed better than boys in the SHS tasks. Regarding EF,
the indirect measures (BRIEF-P) showed no differences between age groups. The direct measures (BAFE)
showed that 4-year-olds performed significantly better than 3-year-olds. No gender differences emerged. Prehandwriting
skills and EF appeared significantly correlated both direct and indirect measurements. In particular
the SHS total score correlated with the Emergent Metacognition Index (BRIEF-P) and with ”pattern-making”
(BAFE). Children who have better Working Memory and Planning/Organization skills are the children that
have better performances in pre-handwriting tasks.
Discussion and conclusion
Our data indicate a relationship between pre-handwriting skills and EF in pre-schoolers. To our knowledge, this
relationship has been little investigated in literature in this age group. Our results could therefore be important
to interventions with poor pre-handwriting children and to better understand the skills implicate in the writing
process before primary school.