'The Missing Piece' in Handwriting Instruction – A Problem of Practice

Although it is the digital age, handwriting is still a predominant means of expression as it occupies considerable amount of school time and assessments are largely paper based. As much as there is empirical evidence of the far-reaching benefits of handwriting, research also asserts that handwriting is not a natural skill but needs to be trained as part of the literacy and writing instruction. Studies also reveal that handwriting instruction is not included as part of initial teacher training studies. Teachers are not informed of handwriting milestones and developmental prerequisites. This paper intends to review the literature and delve deeper into my problem of practice as a paediatric occupational therapist. In addition to emphasising the importance of handwriting instruction, this paper also examines the handwriting related components of the National Curriculum of England (2014). Although the national curriculum outlines statutory handwriting requirements for the primary years, it does not provide teachers with a research-informed handwriting curriculum or the necessary training to implement one effectively. This ‘missing piece’ reflects serious consequences at micro, meso and macro levels, as failure to attain handwriting competency during the primary school years often impacts on both academic success and self-esteem. Studies have suggested that handwriting instruction is best achieved by an interdisciplinary approach involving Occupational Therapy and Education. Accordingly, this paper aims to examine key literature that must be considered when designing an interdisciplinary intervention to provide teacher professional learning in handwriting instruction, thereby helping to address the gap in my problem of practice.