Teaching · Related Services

Legibility you can
put a number on.

“Messy” is not a goal anyone can work on. Take a sample under the same task each time, have someone who did not see it count the words they cannot read, and score five components on a four-point rubric. The builder works out the share of words readable and letters per minute, and lines up every sample for a student so the team can see change.

Score a sampleWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Related Services toolkit, $99 for 96 items.

Writing samples

The worked example is made up: three near-point copying samples from one third grader, readable words rising from 68 to 90 percent after a seating change and a spacing strip. Saved on this device only; students appear as codes.

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What you get

Teaching · Related Services$12 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A record per writing sample with student code, date, grade, task, style, paper and tool; words written, unreadable words, letters and minutes; five components scored 1 to 4; four conditions observed and notes. Works out the percent of words readable and letters per minute; flags components at 1 and fatigue or pain; lists each student’s samples over time.
Who it is for
Occupational therapists, special education teachers and classroom teachers monitoring handwriting, and teams writing handwriting goals.
Format
Browser rubric with a saved record per sample. Prints one sample’s scores, every sample as a table or a blank rubric; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Related Services toolkit ($99) and the Teaching Suite pass ($199), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Related Services space in Caveat Teaching.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Use the same task, paper and tool each time.
  2. Time the sample and count words and letters.
  3. Ask a reader who did not see the task to mark unreadable words.
  4. Score the five components and note the conditions.
  5. Compare with earlier samples before you change the plan.

Score a sample

Components

Five things a reader trips overthe cat sat on a matFormationan a that looks like a uSizet no taller than aSpacinggaps inside words, none betweenBaselineletters floating above the lineSlantleaning both ways in one wordFive things a reader trips overthe catFormationan a that looks like a uSizet no taller than aSpacinggaps inside words, none betweenBaselineletters floating above the lineSlantleaning both ways in one word
The rubric scores each component separately so practice can target the one that most affects readability.

Criterion, not norms

This rubric describes a sample against fixed criteria. It does not produce standard scores, percentiles or a diagnosis, and its 1 to 4 scale has no norms behind it. Standardized handwriting assessments exist for that purpose and are given by trained examiners; use this to monitor progress and describe what you see.

What usually helps

Seating that puts feet on the floor and the desk near elbow height, paper angled and held with the other hand, explicit teaching of letter formation and short daily practice are common, well-supported starting points. A student with pain, fatigue or very slow writing should be seen by an occupational therapist.

Sources

  1. Graham, S., et al. (2012). Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers (NCEE 2012-4058). What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: teaching handwriting fluency (ies.ed.gov).
  2. American Occupational Therapy Association. Handwriting and school-based practice resources (aota.org).
  3. Feder, K. P., and Majnemer, A. (2007). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 49(4).
  4. Amundson, S. J. Evaluation Tool of Children’s Handwriting (ETCH): legibility as the percent of readable words and letters (O.T. Kids).

The worked example is made up. This is a progress-monitoring rubric, not an assessment with norms or a diagnosis. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.