A Relationship of secondary beginning strokes in handwriting to reading ability.

Abstract

Linton, Epstein, and Hartford (1961) have used the term, secondary beginning s t ~ o k e , to identify the initial upstroke in handwriting chat is frequently found on words beginning with the small letters a, v, zu, and y. Their study, designed to investigate psychological correlates of secondary beginning strokes, led to the conclusion that use of secondary beginning strokes is . . . associated with relative inadequacy and lack of energy in intellectual functioning and other forms of coping with the environment with a tendency to accept things as they are rather than actively trying to control or alter them, and with constriction that applies particularly to emotional interaction. It appeared to the present writers that poor readers often possess these same psychological attributes and that, therefore, it might be expected that poor readers would tend to use more secondary beginning strokes than would good readers. Ss were 50 seventh and eighth grade students with group test IQ scores between 9 0 and 110. Twenty-five Ss were poor readers (reading 6 mo. or more below grade level) and 25 Ss were good readers (reading 6 mo, or more above grade level) according to standardized reading tests corroborated by teacher judgment. Informal English themes and spelling exercises were examined to find 10 words beginning with small letters u, v, w, or y for each S. The number of secondary beginning strokes found in the 10 words was then determined. The poor readers used a significantly greater number of secondary beginning strokes than did good readers (x' = 19.68; 6.635 required for .O1 level with 1 df) , as was expected. It was observed that seventh graders tended to use secondary beginning strokes more frequently than eighth graders. When the numbers for the 39 eighth graders only were compared x2 became 24.741. The data imply that the psychological attributes which make for retention of the use of secondary beginning strokes in handwriting may also make for poor performance in reading. That seventh grade Ss tend to use more secondary beginning strokes is logical because seventh graders are less far removed from formal handwriting instruction, in which the letter form models almost invariably include the secondary beginning strokes. Further study might profitably be devoted to the relationship of grade placement and reading level and interactions of these variables to tendency to use secondary beginning strokes. REFERENCE LINTON, H. B., EPSTEIN, L., & HARTFORD, H. Personality and perceptual correlates of secondary beginning strokes in handwriting. Percept. mot . Skills, 1961, 12, 271-281.