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Arabic Handwriting vs. Keyboarding: Performance and Underlying Body Functions among Elementary-School Students

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Title: Arabic Handwriting vs. Keyboarding: Performance and Underlying Body Functions among Elementary-School Students
Language: English
Authors: Rina Khoury-Shaheen, Naomi Weintraub (ORCID 0000-0003-4127-3489)
Source: Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools & Early Intervention. 2025 18(1):185-199.
Availability: Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Grade 4
Intermediate Grades
Grade 5
Middle Schools
Descriptors: Arabic, Handwriting, Keyboarding (Data Entry), Occupational Therapy, Allied Health Personnel, Elementary School Students, Grade 4, Grade 5, Reading Rate, Attention, Perceptual Motor Coordination, Psychomotor Skills, Cognitive Processes, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Israel
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Raven Progressive Matrices, Movement Assessment Battery for Children
DOI: 10.1080/19411243.2023.2215757
ISSN: 1941-1243
1941-1251
Abstract: gSchool-based occupational therapists (OTs) support students' participation in academic activities, including handwriting and keyboarding, which are major basic academic skills. To this end, it is important that OTs understand what these activities entail. Yet, only a few studies compared keyboarding and handwriting performance of elementary school students and their underlying body functions; none related to the Arabic language. The aims of the current study were: (a) to examine the relationship between handwriting and keyboarding performance of typically developing elementary school students; and (b) to investigate whether these two tasks share common underlying body functions (linguistic, cognitive, and sensory-motor). Thirty-five 4th-5th-grade monolingual students, whose mother tongue is Arabic, were individually administered handwriting and keyboarding speed assessments and tests measuring reading, attention, and sensory-motor functions. Results showed a significant moderate correlation was found between handwriting and keyboarding speed. Reading speed and attention were correlated with both handwriting and keyboarding speed. In contrast, different sensory-motor skills were associated with each of the writing modes. These findings suggest that, assessing students' reading, attention, and sensory-motor functions is important in order to understand students' handwriting or keyboarding difficulties. Additionally, OTs should be aware of the different language-dependent keyboard layouts, which may affect students keyboarding performance.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508933
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Arabic Handwriting vs. Keyboarding: Performance and Underlying Body Functions among Elementary-School Students
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  Label: Language
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
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  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rina+Khoury-Shaheen%22">Rina Khoury-Shaheen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Naomi+Weintraub%22">Naomi Weintraub</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4127-3489">0000-0003-4127-3489</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Occupational+Therapy%2C+Schools+%26+Early+Intervention%22"><i>Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools & Early Intervention</i></searchLink>. 2025 18(1):185-199.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
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  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 15
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
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  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink>
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  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Arabic%22">Arabic</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Handwriting%22">Handwriting</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Keyboarding+%28Data+Entry%29%22">Keyboarding (Data Entry)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Occupational+Therapy%22">Occupational Therapy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Allied+Health+Personnel%22">Allied Health Personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Rate%22">Reading Rate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attention%22">Attention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Perceptual+Motor+Coordination%22">Perceptual Motor Coordination</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychomotor+Skills%22">Psychomotor Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Processes%22">Cognitive Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Israel%22">Israel</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Raven+Progressive+Matrices%22">Raven Progressive Matrices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Movement+Assessment+Battery+for+Children%22">Movement Assessment Battery for Children</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
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  Data: 10.1080/19411243.2023.2215757
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
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  Data: 1941-1243<br />1941-1251
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: gSchool-based occupational therapists (OTs) support students' participation in academic activities, including handwriting and keyboarding, which are major basic academic skills. To this end, it is important that OTs understand what these activities entail. Yet, only a few studies compared keyboarding and handwriting performance of elementary school students and their underlying body functions; none related to the Arabic language. The aims of the current study were: (a) to examine the relationship between handwriting and keyboarding performance of typically developing elementary school students; and (b) to investigate whether these two tasks share common underlying body functions (linguistic, cognitive, and sensory-motor). Thirty-five 4th-5th-grade monolingual students, whose mother tongue is Arabic, were individually administered handwriting and keyboarding speed assessments and tests measuring reading, attention, and sensory-motor functions. Results showed a significant moderate correlation was found between handwriting and keyboarding speed. Reading speed and attention were correlated with both handwriting and keyboarding speed. In contrast, different sensory-motor skills were associated with each of the writing modes. These findings suggest that, assessing students' reading, attention, and sensory-motor functions is important in order to understand students' handwriting or keyboarding difficulties. Additionally, OTs should be aware of the different language-dependent keyboard layouts, which may affect students keyboarding performance.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: 2026
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  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1508933
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1508933
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        Value: 10.1080/19411243.2023.2215757
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 185
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Arabic
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Handwriting
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Keyboarding (Data Entry)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Occupational Therapy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Allied Health Personnel
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      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 5
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Rate
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Perceptual Motor Coordination
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychomotor Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cognitive Processes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Israel
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Raven Progressive Matrices
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Movement Assessment Battery for Children
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Arabic Handwriting vs. Keyboarding: Performance and Underlying Body Functions among Elementary-School Students
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            NameFull: Rina Khoury-Shaheen
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            NameFull: Naomi Weintraub
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              Y: 2025
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