title: Learning to write letters: examination of student and letter factors.
abstract: Learning to write the letters of the alphabet is an important part of learning how to write conventionally. In this study, we investigated critical factors in the development of letter-writing skills using exploratory item response models to simultaneously account for variance in responses due to differences between students and between letters. Letter-writing skills were assessed in 415 preschool children aged 3 to 5 years. At the student level, we examined the contribution of letter-name knowledge, letter-sound knowledge, and phonological awareness to letter-writing skills. At the letter level, we examined seven intrinsic and extrinsic factors in understanding how preschool children learn to write alphabet letters: first letter of name, letters in name, letter order, textual frequency, number of strokes, symmetry, and letter type. Results indicated that variation in letter-writing skills was accounted for more by differences between students rather than by differences between letters, with most of the variability accounted for by letter-name knowledge and age. Although significant, the contribution of letter-sound knowledge and phonological awareness was relatively small. Student-level mechanisms underlying the acquisition of letter-writing skills are similar to the mechanisms underlying the learning of letter sounds. However, letter characteristics, which appear to play a major role in the learning of letter names and letter sounds, did not appear to influence learning how to write letters in a substantial way. The exception was if the letter was in the child's name.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. Electronic address: cpuranik@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Cynthia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Puranik
authors.affiliation: Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
authors.forename: Yaacov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Petscher
authors.affiliation: Florida Center for Reading Research and Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lonigan
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D014956:Writing
keywords: Alphabet knowledge; Emergent writing; Letter writing; Multilevel models; Preschool; Writing