The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Writing Ability in Primary School-Aged Children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59519/mper8106Keywords:
COVID-19, literacy, handwritingAbstract
This paper examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of writing skills in children of younger school age. Particular attention was given to the differences in writing performance between fifth- and sixth-grade students, who, during the pandemic, were in a period of intensive acquisition and automatization of writing skills. The study included 150 fifth- and sixth-grade primary school students whose conventional, systematic writing instruction was interrupted during the pandemic period. Writing ability was assessed through three modalities: text copying, dictation, and essay writing on a given topic. The study employed the Handwriting Maturity Assessment Scale and the Handwriting Dysgraphia Assessment Scale. The results indicated the presence of graphomotor difficulties and reduced handwriting quality in a considerable number of the students examined. The interruption of systematic writing instruction particularly affected the mastery of more complex writing tasks, such as dictation and independent text production. Based on the findings obtained, it was concluded that schooling conditions during the pandemic had an unfavorable effect on the development of writing skills. Mastery of writing requires continuous, systematic instruction and adequate pedagogical support, including the implementation of individualized programs for students with writing difficulties, in order to prevent long-term consequences for literacy development and students’ educational achievement under conditions of extraordinary social circumstances.
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