Arm-body training improves overall legibility of letter script while pencil-and-paper training reduces it¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r3 · q4 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q4 i1 Arm-body training had a significant positive effect on overall legibility (d = .309), and pencil-and-paper training a significant negative effect (d = -.413). → Fernando Núñez-Regueiro 2024

Evidence¶

Fernando Núñez-Regueiro 2024¶

Fernando Núñez-Regueiro, Natacha Boissicat, Fanny Gimbert, Céline Pobel-Burtin, Marie-Caroline Croset, Marie-Line Bosse, and Cécile Nurra. (2024). Involving the Body to Improve Letter Knowledge and Script: An Experimental Study in French Kindergarten. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09923-9

q4 · i1 · causal · r3

Ordinal regression on overall letter legibility (18-point rated copying task) in the RCT; arm-body students were "75% more likely to score higher on this skill", pencil-and-paper students 211% less likely; arm training was non-significant.

"The main effect on acquisitions in overall legibility was positive and significant at 5% for the arm-body training group (b = 0.560, OR = 1.751, d = .309, p = .020), negative and significant at 5% for the pencil-and-paper training group (b = -0.749, OR = 0.473, d = -.413, p < .001)"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Writing Skills — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Initial skills moderate embodied training effects: arm-body training harms low-skilled students on dictation and legibility, and benefits high-skilled students on dictation — related
• Arm-body training reduces letters written under dictation relative to the other conditions — related
• Different types of handwriting interventions produce equivalent gains in handwriting legibility and fluency — related
• Explicit Handwriting Instruction Improves Legibility — a broader claim this one bears on
• Arm training with nested handwriting exercises yields the greatest overall acquisitions in letter knowledge and script, while arm-body training reduces them — related
• No training condition affects letter script stroke direction — related