The Effect of a Sport Stacking Intervention on Handwriting With Second Grade Students

Authors

  • Yuhua Li The University of Memphis
  • Diane Coleman The University of Memphis
  • Mary Ransdell The University of Memphis
  • Lyndsie Coleman The University of Memphis
  • Carol Irwin The University of Memphis

Abstract

The present study examined the impact a 14-week sport stacking (cup stacking) exercise intervention would have on children’s handwriting quality and speed. Eighty-three second graders were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. The experimental group (n = 42) participated in a 15-min session of sport stacking activities every school day for 14 weeks, and the control group (n = 41) experienced other supervised physical activities using the same time interval and duration. The dependent variables, handwriting speed and accuracy, were measured pre- and postintervention. Results showed a significant test effect, F(1, 81) = 19.1, p = .001, with all students in both groups increasing handwriting speed posttest. Moreover, a marginal interaction between group and test emerged, F(1, 81) = 3.1, p = .08, suggesting a tendency that the experimental group had a greater improvement in writing speed than the control group. No difference was found in handwriting accuracy. The results were not conclusive, and further investigations are recommended to test the potential effect of sport stacking activities on enhancement of perceptual-motor function, specifically handwriting skill for school children.

 

Author Biographies

Yuhua Li, The University of Memphis

Associate Professor

Department of Health & Sport Sciences

Diane Coleman, The University of Memphis

Department of Health and Sport Sciences

Mary Ransdell, The University of Memphis

Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Lyndsie Coleman, The University of Memphis

Department of Health and Sport Sciences

Carol Irwin, The University of Memphis

Department of Health and Sport Sciences

Published

2014-01-28

Issue

Section

Articles