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Learning Sequential Strokes for Printing Letters
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This frame of reference assumes that constructing letters in a consistently sequential pattern improves habituation and the efficiency, fluency, and quality of printed letters.
Enigmatic problem: Some kindergarteners exhibit difficulties when learning to print letters. Particularly, they may initiate the letter at the base rather than the top and are inconsistent in the sequence that they execute the motor task.
This frame of reference provides guidelines for instruction and intervention for children who do not consistently print letters with the standard genesis and trajectory.
Note: A version of the following frame of reference was originally written and submitted as part of the course requirement for Developing a Guideline for Intervention. It has since been revised with a greater emphasis on the exploration and analysis of the theoretical base.
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Dedication
I would be remiss if I did not add the following: my experience writing the original frame of reference was sui generis because of Jim Hinojosa. In my many years in school, I have had great teachers and professors. Until writing this frame of reference, there had never been a professor contemporaneously offering feedback on each section of a paper written or be so readily available by email or phone to answer questions or discuss research or theories. I was new to pediatrics, new to handwriting, and had never before written a frame of reference. Conversations with Jim were always fun and insightful, and left me feeling simultaneously smarter, inspired, and motivated to continue exploring. I will always treasure and be grateful for this experience and will try to emulate his encouraging nature as I move forward.
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