Getting it write! An educational and consultative program for primary school teachers
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
In Singapore’s primary education system, a critical gap exists between evidence-based handwriting instruction and actual classroom practices. This gap is compounded by the limited training teachers receive during their teacher training program to identify and support students with handwriting difficulties (National Technological University National Institute of Education, 2023). Additionally, collaboration opportunities between teachers and occupational therapists remain limited (Singapore Association of Occupational Therapists, 2021). As a result, differing expectations between the two professions may cause handwriting difficulties to be overlooked or inadequately addressed until they significantly impact a child’s academic performance. In response to this problem, Getting it Write! was developed as a six-month educational and consultative program for primary school teachers. The program’s theoretical foundation draws from adult learning principles (Knowles et al., 2015; Palis & Quiros, 2014) and the Collaborative Consultation Model (Idol et al., 1995; Wilson & Harris, 2018; Wintle et al., 2017). It also draws on research in structured handwriting instruction (Learning Without Tears, n.d.; Montgomery & Zwicker, 2020), tiered intervention frameworks (Cahill & Bazyk, 2020), sustained professional development (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017), and collaborative teacher-therapist training (Jeremy et al., 2024). The program features two key components: an asynchronous e-learning module on handwriting and occupational therapy teleconsultation services. Its long-term objective is to improve timely in-class support as well as timely and appropriate referrals to occupational therapy for students with handwriting difficulties.
Description
2025
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International