The Effects of Handwriting and Typing Practice on Transcriptional Fluency and Written Product Outcomes

A child’s handwriting fluency may have implications on his or her quality of writing. The same may be true of typing fluency. The current study examines the effects of handwriting and typing practice on early elementary school children’s transcriptional fluency and written product outcomes. Three classrooms of second-grade students were assessed in both domains before and after a 40-day intervention. Measures were taken in both handwriting and typing modes. One classroom practiced handwriting, one practiced typing, and a third served as a control group. Data were analyzed to determine differences in transcriptional fluency and written product outcomes across time and between groups. No statistically significant improvements in fluency were observed among the handwriting group, yet results yielded statistically significant improvement in the coherence of stories. Statistically significant improvements in fluency were observed among the typing group, but no product outcome improvements were observed. Additionally, improvements on some product outcome variables on handwritten assessments among students who practiced handwriting were greater than improvements on the same variables on typed assessments among students who practiced typing.