WRITE-RITE: ENHANCING HANDWRITING PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH DYSGRAPHIA

Many children have limitations that significantly impact their writing ability, such as physical, cognitive, and motor limitations, all of which need to be overcome for a good level of written expression. This study addresses problems and difficulties in mastering the process of writing among dysgraphic children. The most suitable method to overcome these problems is to provide activities and exercises that can help children with dysgraphia improve visual-motor integration that is correlated with writing skills. With this aim in mind, a dysgraphic-customised application called Write-Rite has been designed to support children with dysgraphia, through activities and exercises, in order to fulfil their unique needs. This study is an attempt in designing and evaluating the Write-Rite application that provides a stimulating and interactive experience for dysgraphic children to practise writing at different levels of difficulty to facilitate the learning process. This study was conducted in two primary schools in Kedah, with five participants (aged seven to 12) who were observed and evaluated for five weeks. Data was compiled through observations, recorded handwriting performances and a self-generated rubric to track the following: formation of letters, slant, size and proportion, alignment, spacing and line quality. The results of a preliminary evaluation and assessment of "Write-Rite" found that this application fulfilled its role in terms of optimising writing proficiency among children with dysgraphia.