Teachers' Perceptions of Handwriting Legibility Versus the German Systematic Screening for Motoric-Handwriting Difficulties (SEMS).
Anita M Franken, Susan R Harris
PMID 34323150WHAT IT FOUND
The SEMS screening test matched teacher opinions for Grade 2 students but missed problems in Grade 4s.
It works for young children copying short texts but fails to catch older students whose handwriting breaks down during complex class tasks.
Key findings
01In Grade 2, the SEMS and teachers identified the same students as having handwriting difficulties, with a prevalence of 12.70% versus 11.11%.
02In Grade 4, the SEMS identified only 6% of students as having problems, whereas teachers identified 14%, indicating the test missed several students.
03The SEMS uses a 5-minute copying task, which may not capture handwriting difficulties that arise during longer or more complex writing demands like composition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was a pilot with a small sample size and no a priori power calculation. Schools were selected by convenience, and the nonconsent rate was relatively high. The SEMS uses only a 5-minute copying task on blank paper, which may not reflect handwriting performance during longer, more complex school tasks. Teacher ratings were subjective and not validated against other measures. Interrater and intrarater reliability for the SEMS scores were not assessed in this study.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the SEMS is equally valid for all elementary grades. It accurately screens Grade 2 students but significantly under-identifies handwriting difficulties in Grade 4 students compared to teacher observations.