Grading of handwriting samples with the Ayres scale by a single judge shows steady improvement across grades, with dips at 5B and 8A¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 1912 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? City-wide average handwriting grades rose fairly steadily from grade 1A to 8B, with 5B showing the only marked deviation and 8A slightly below 8B. → King 1912

Evidence¶

King 1912¶

King, I., & Johnson, H. (1912). The writing abilities of the elementary and grammar school pupils of a city school system measured by the Ayres scale. Journal of Educational Psychology, 3(9), 514–520. doi:10.1037/h0071006

q2 · i? · associational · r1

Grading of 966 specimens from grades 1–8 of one city system by a single judge who did not attend to age or grade. The article reports "the steady improvement manifest in the various grades from the 1st to 8B," with 5B the only marked exception.

"it is evident that a single judge can ap7)ly the scale with a fair degree of consistency, as is shown by the steady improvement manifest in the various grades from the 1st to 8B."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Writing Skills — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Handwriting quality rose steadily with age up to 14, with small drops reported at 14 and 16, but standings beyond 15 are based on too few cases — related
• The largest grade-to-grade gain in handwriting quality was 2B over 1A, a 13-point gain on the Ayres scale — related
• Independent grading by eight judges of 34 specimens showed average deviations below the 10-point scale spacing (average 6.1), supporting the scale's objectivity — related