The influence of fine motor skills on reading and writing development in kindergarten and primary school

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Heidrun Stöger
• Subject Area: Developmental and Educational Psychology ; General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 423427414

Fine motor skills (FMS) undoubtedly have major cultural and educational significance, however, theoretically-motivated empirical demonstration is underdeveloped. This knowledge deficit hinders the development of educational curricula capitalising on FMS foundations of learning. To rectify this, we have begun to develop and test two competing accounts for links between FMS and academic achievement, namely that links are indirect (i.e., functionalism) and/or direct (i.e., fine-motor cognition theory). To further this work, the current proposal pursues three aims: First, we seek to assess the significance of FMS for reading and writing development, in a differentiated manner, while controlling for cognitive, environmental, and background variables. This involves measuring three established and discrete domains of FMS, namely manual-dexterity, grapho-motor skill, and FM-speed (i.e., tapping). Second, we test for patterns of findings consistent with functionalism and FM-cognition theory. Third, we investigate developmental links between FMS and reading and writing, to tackle the complex question of how links change with development. The current proposal builds on the first phase of the project, in which a comprehensive and novel meta-analysis was conducted, an experiment ran, and the first wave of large longitudinal study spanning two cohorts (n = 500) was completed. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, significant delays and increased difficulties were experienced, such that more funding is required to complete the longitudinal study. Each year, measures of reading and writing will be administered (i.e., letter knowledge, decoding, reading fluency, reading comprehension, letter production, word writing, and sentence writing skill). According to the functionalism theory of indirect links, connections between FMS and reading/writing should be explained away by learning experiences and more closely linked to grapho-motor skills than manual dexterity and speed. In contrast, FM-cognition theory predicts enduring direct links between manual-dexterity and reading/writing for both manual dexterity and grapho-motor skill. Results will provide insight as to factors influencing reading and writing development and may lead to new intervention approaches.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Sebastian Suggate, Ph.D.