The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC)

Elementary-school students with poor motor and reading skills may have difficulty acquiring typing skills

Nagham Gahshan-Haddad & Prof. Naomi Weintraub

A new study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy showed that in addition to kinesthetic abilities (a sensory system that provides information and feedback on the position of the body and limbs and the movement being performed), reading speed is related to the typing rate of elementary-school students.

These findings may explain why students with motor difficulties or learning disorders (such as dyslexia) often have difficulty acquiring typing skills. They may also help identify students at risk of having dystypia (typing difficulties), who may benefit from touch-typing instruction or therapeutic intervention.

Article in Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy