How do general education teachers (K-5th grade) in the Mat-Su Borough School District teach handwriting skills for automaticity

Abstract

In 2012 the State of Alaska adopted English Language Arts Standards with no handwriting standards beyond the first grade. This change does not display an understanding of how students develop handwriting skills, nor the importance of a student's ability to write with automaticity. The stage many students make the greatest gains in handwriting fluency is at the intermediate level (grades 3-5). This study surveyed kindergarten through fifth grade general education teachers in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District to learn if handwriting skills are being taught and what instructional methods are being used to develop automaticity. This study found that teachers in the Mat-Su Borough School District think handwriting instruction is important but, there are no common standards, curriculum, or materials. In addition, only 24% of the teachers are using the best instructional methods to develop handwriting automaticity. In the Mat-Su Borough School District the importance of handwriting instruction seems to be overlooked. The district needs to provide additional professional development on handwriting instruction, develop vertically aligned standards for handwriting, and provide resources for schools to purchase research-based materials.