Calligraphic Education during childhood and its long-term effect on the adult handwriting

• Main Authors: Dan Morgenstern-Kaplan, Ariel Cohen-Welch, Rodrigo Fonseca-Portilla, Daniela Alejandra García-Alonso, Joseph Palatchi-Oldak, Pablo André Veronés-Ortiz, Lorraine Ornelas-Hall
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad de Chile 2018-12-01
• Series: Revista Chilena de Terapia Ocupacional
• Online Access: https://revistaterapiaocupacional.uchile.cl/index.php/RTO/article/view/48989
• ISSN: 0717-6767; 0719-5346

Background: Handwriting is an essential part of human communication. Its successful development is decisive for its personal and academic future. One of its most important components is the grip of the pen, of which there are 5 standard variants. The correct calligraphic education has a very important role in the generation of writing habits and a better legibility. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of correlation between variables, the aim was to correlate calligraphic education with many variables. The data was collected with a survey and a calligraphic test. Results: The sample consisted of 80 subjects between the ages of 18-30. No statistically significant correlation was found between legibility and years of calligraphic education, gender, age, dominant hand, GPA and preferred font. The only significant correlation was found between legibility and the use of one standard grips of the pen and an alternative (p=0.01). Discussion: 77.5% of the subjects had good legibility in the calligraphic test and no correlation was found between legibility and most of the variables on the study. However, the association between legibility and the use of the standard grips was found, in comparison with people that do not use one of those grips. Conclusions: Handwriting legibility is a multi-factor influenced skill, and calligraphic education during childhood is decisive to develop it properly. Nevertheless, the study showed no association between the length of the education and legibility, and a correlation between the use of an alternative pen grip and a worse result in the calligraphic test.