Handwriting Legibility Distribution in Second Grade Students Assesed by THSR

Diyan Rahmawati1, Lanny Indriastuti2

1
Resident of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Specialist, Medical Faculty of Diponegoro University/Kariadi General Hospital, Semarang,
Indonesia
ABSTRACT
Background : Writing skills is an important skill during the school children. Problems in
writing proccess seen in many school children, especially at primary school age. The aim of
this study is to see handwriting legibility distribution in school children using Test of
Handwriting Skill Revised (THSR).
Material and Methods : This study used descriptive cross sectional design. As inclution
criteria are student second grade whose formally got handwriting lesson, aged 6 years 5
month until 7 years 11 months, can write all upper case and lower case alfabeth (manuscript),
and already get english lesson. As exclution criteria, children with visual and auditorik
disturbance which can not corrected, neuromuskuloskeletal impairment which disturb hand
function, can not finish all subtest in THSR, and have immatur handgrip type. Ninety three
school children entering te study, one student can finish the study because has immatur
handgrip.
Intervention : To discriminate handwriting legibility, we used THSR. THSR is a assesment
tool for handwriting legibility which has 10 subtest. Scored each subtest calculated, and hand
writing legibility level can find.
Result : Subtest 10 has lowest score, with meanSD 3,5 1,47. Girls dominate as participants
(57,6%). Girl participants have the biggest result in standart score more than 105 (54,7%), and
boys in standart score 100-105 (65,5%). From three fine motor nonscolastic course that
participants follow, colouring and drawing have same result, balance between standart score
100-105 (50%) and more than 105 (50%), but piano course has higest result in standart score
100-105 (61,1%). For general result, standart score more than 105 has the biggest proportion
(47,5%).
Conclusion : Subtest 10 has lowest score. Most of girl participants have good handwriting
legibility level, it is better than boys. Participants whose follow colouring and drawing course
have same handwriting legibility level between good and moderate, but in piano course, the
biggest proportion is moderate level. Generally, good handwriting legibility level has the
biggest proportion among participants.
Key Words: handwriting legibility, standart score, THSR