Fine motor precision and manual dexterity are positively correlated with handwriting legibility in preschool children, and Functional Dexterity Test time is inversely correlated¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (3 entries) · associational r1–r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2018 · checked against its sources 2026-10-19 (automated, 3 of 3 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 Handwriting legibility correlates significantly with fine motor precision (r=0.78). → Seo S-M 2018 q3 i3 Handwriting legibility correlates significantly with manual dexterity (r=0.49). → Seo S-M 2018 (2) q3 i3 Handwriting legibility shows a statistically significant inverse correlation with Functional Dexterity Test performance time (r=−0.68). → Seo S-M 2018 (3)

Evidence¶

Seo S-M 2018¶

Seo S-M. (2018). The effect of fine motor skills on handwriting legibility in preschool age children. J. Phys. Ther. Sci. 30: 324–327. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

q3 · i3 · associational · r1

Pearson product-moment correlation analysis in 52 preschool children (mean age 69.19 ± 3.71 months) between Korean Alphabet Writing Assessment scores and BOT-2 fine motor precision. The study reports a "statistically significant correlation with fine motor precision (r=0.78)".

"handwriting legibility had a statistically significant correlation with fine motor precision (r=0.78) and a high correlation with manual dexterity (r=0.49)"

Seo S-M 2018 (2)¶

Seo S-M. (2018). The effect of fine motor skills on handwriting legibility in preschool age children. J. Phys. Ther. Sci. 30: 324–327. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

q3 · i3 · associational · r2

Same Pearson correlation analysis of 52 preschool children, for the BOT-2 manual dexterity sub-item against handwriting legibility, reporting "a high correlation with manual dexterity (r=0.49)".

"handwriting legibility had a statistically significant correlation with fine motor precision (r=0.78) and a high correlation with manual dexterity (r=0.49)"

Seo S-M 2018 (3)¶

Seo S-M. (2018). The effect of fine motor skills on handwriting legibility in preschool age children. J. Phys. Ther. Sci. 30: 324–327. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

q3 · i3 · associational · r2

Pearson correlation in the same 52-child sample between handwriting legibility and Functional Dexterity Test time (mean 32.98 ± 5.19 sec), showing "a statistically significant inverse correlation" with r=−0.68; faster in-hand manipulation related to better legibility.

"It also showed a statistically significant inverse correlation with the performance time of the Functional Dexterity Test (r=−0.68)"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Writing Skills — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• In stepwise multiple regression, fine motor precision accounts for about sixty percent and Functional Dexterity Test time about four percent of handwriting legibility in preschool children — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Explicit Handwriting Instruction Improves Legibility — related
• Only in the 5th-grade group were moderate positive correlations found, between visual-motor integration and motor coordination (r = 0.748) and between visual perception and dysgraphia classification (r = 0.643) — related
• Automaticity of handwriting predicts orthographic skills even when visual-motor integration is included in the model — related
• Fine motor skills show a significant moderate overall correlation (r = .329) with academic-cognitive skills in children and adolescents — related
• Children's baseline motor skills do not correlate with reading-related outcomes or with their use of movement when naming letter-sounds — related