title: Evaluating fine motor coordination in children who are not ready for handwriting: which test should we take?
abstract: When children are not ready to write, assessment of fine motor coordination may be indicated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate which fine motor test, the Nine-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT) or the newly developed Timed Test of In-Hand Manipulation (Timed-TIHM), correlates best with handwriting readiness as measured by the Writing Readiness Inventory Tool In Context-Task Performance (WRITIC-TP). From the 119 participating children, 43 were poor performers. Convergent validity of the 9-HPT and Timed-TIHM with WRITIC-TP was determined, and test-retest reliability of the Timed-TIHM was examined in 59 children. The results showed that correlations of the 9-HPT and Timed-TIHM with the WRITIC-TP were similar (rs = -0.40). The 9-HPT and the complex rotation subtask of the Timed-TIHM had a low correlation with the WRITIC-TP in poor performers (rs = -0.30 and -0.32 respectively). Test-retest reliability of the Timed-TIHM was significant (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient = 0.71). Neither of these two fine motor tests is appeared superior. They both relate to different aspects of fine motor performance. One of the limitations of the methodology was unequal numbers of children in subgroups. It is recommended that further research is indicated to evaluate the relation between development of fine motor coordination and handwriting proficiency, on the Timed-TIHM in different age groups.
authors.affiliation: Center for Rehabilitation, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, CD 35, Dilgtweg 5, 9751 NJ, Haren, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Margo J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Hartingsveldt
authors.forename: Edith H C
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Cup
authors.forename: Maria W G
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Nijhuis-van der Sanden
authors.forename: Imelda J M
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: de Groot
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: Nine-Hole Peg Test, Timed Test of In-Hand Manipulation (Timed-TIHM); Writing Readiness Inventory Tool in Context-Task Performance (WRITIC-TP); fine motor coordination; handwriting