DOES HANDWRITING WITHOUT

TEARS OR TV TEACHER IMPROVE

HANDWRITING LEGIBILITY FOR
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES?

Tiffany Poon, OTS

Touro University Nevada

HANDWRITING
Crucial to academic success & important
component of communication (Graham, 1999).
Functional skill used across multiple educational
settings; impacts a students performance across
all academic areas
A complex skill involving intricate interchange of
visual & motor abilities, as well as cognitive &
perceptual processes, psychosocial,
biomechanical, & environmental factors (Goyen &
Duff, 2005).

HANDWRITING WITHOUT
TEARS

Provides developmentally appropriate, multisensory tools & strategies

Chalkboard

with smiley face in the upper left hand

corner used with a wet sponge, dry paper towel &
chalk
Wooden letter pieces for a kinesthetic approach to
building letters
Corresponding workbook/worksheets
Consistent verbal prompting for each letter provided
Order of target letters from simple to more complex

Easy & simple to implement

Carryover

HANDWRITING WITHOUT
TEARS

Carlson, McLaughlin, Derby, & Blecher, 2009

Without Tears (HWOT) increases

handwriting legibility and skills for two preschool
students with autism

Handwriting

McBride, Pelto, McLaughlin, Barretto, Robison,

& Mortenson, 2009
Improvements

in handwriting skills were found for

two preschool students with developmental delays
when HWOT was implemented

Cosby, McLaughlin, Derby, & Huewe, 2009

A

single preschooler with autism using HWOT

procedures improved handwriting legibility

PROCEDURE
Baseline
Implement program or consult with teacher &
follow up
Follow the same modeling/verbal prompting of the
programs
Have student write a letter independently
Score

point if legible (whether or not the letter could be

identified as the appropriate letter)
1 point if within the 3-lines or space provided within 80
1 point if letter followed HWOT or TV Teacher model
within 80%

DATA

Subject #1

Baseline:

0
Letters L & F
Post HWOT program: 3
** Utilized chalkboard & eraser, workbook

Subject #2

Baseline:

0
Letters E & R
Post HWOT program: 1

DATA

DATA

TV TEACHER
Programs that teach children how to write the
alphabet, numbers, shapes & more
Visually stimulating

Visual

demonstration of how to write the letter while

reciting a unique auditory rhythmic chant that
parallels the actual writing of the strokes
Pictures of objects beginning with the letter is shown
while word is being said

Interactive
Students

can write along with video

Workbooks provided

TV TEACHER
No evidence based research found on TV Teacher program
Testimonials

want to applaud the Alphabet Beats program, yet again. I

have been using it at the schools I serve, and am getting
magnificent results. My teachers are ecstatic and the kids are
blossoming. Thanks to infinity for this program!
Kimberly Teamer, Occupational Therapist

"What

fast progress! ...My son with Autism, has gone from no

writing to an independent "B" and "R". He's mastering one
letter each day. It's totally amazing!

Annette Frost, Mother

DATA

Subject #1 (NG)
Baseline: 0
All capital letters
Post TV Teacher program: 3
Subject #2 (V)
Baseline: 0
Strokes & shapes
Post TV Teacher program: 2
Subject #3 (H)
Baseline: 0
Strokes & shapes
Post TV Teacher program: 1

o Subject #4 (L)
Baseline: 0
Strokes & shapes
Post TV Teacher program: 1
o Subject #5 (C)
Baseline: 0
Strokes & shapes
Post TV Teacher program: 2
o Subject #6 (R)
Baseline: 3
Strokes & shapes
Post TV Teacher program: 3
o Subject #7 (R)
Baseline: 3
Strokes & shapes
Post TV Teacher program: 3

DATA

DATA

DATA

LIMITATIONS
Length of interventions
Carry-over in classroom/home
Lack of using all materials (HWOT program)
Teachers implementation (TV Teacher program)
Population TV Teacher only implemented with
primary & intermediate Autism classes / HWOT
with SLD students

IMPLICATIONS FOR OT

These programs provide a variety of

helpful tools:
Materials

Verbalization

of how to form letters

Multi-sensory approach
Interactive approach
Consistent program

Implement in classroom and/or home

How teacher implements program can
increase effectiveness (TV Teacher
program)

CONCLUSION

Both programs improve handwriting and participation

in writing activities
Carryover

is unsure

Must continue to follow up/implement

Helpful

tools for handwriting interventions

REFERENCES
Cosby, E., McLaughlin, T. F., Derby, K. M. (2009). Using tracing and modeling
with Handwriting Without Tears worksheet to
increase handwriting legibility
for a preschool student with autism. The Open Social Science Journal, 2, 74-77.
Retrieved from
http://benthamopen.com/tosscij/articles/V002/74TOSSCIJ.pdf
Coussen, M., McLaughlin, T. F., Derby, K. M., McKenzie, M. (2012). The
differential effects of Handwriting Without Tears chalkboard, wooden
letters,
and worksheet using highlight, model, and start point on legibility for two
preschool students with disabilities. International
Journal of English and
Education, 2, 301- 312. Retrieved from
http://ijee.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/mc_laughlin_2.273141146.p df
LeBrun, M., McLaughlin, T. F., Derby, K. M., McKenzie, M. (2012). The effects of
using Handwriting Without Tears to teach thirty-one integrating
preschoolers of varying academic ability to write their names. Academic
Research International, 2, 373-378. Retrieved from
http://www.savap.org.pk/journals/ARInt./Vol.2(2)/2012(2.2-42).pdf