Does It Really Matter? The Effect of Script Instruction on First Graders' Reading Performance in Hebrew: Typical versus At-Risk Readers
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| Title: | Does It Really Matter? The Effect of Script Instruction on First Graders' Reading Performance in Hebrew: Typical versus At-Risk Readers |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Vered Vaknin-Nusbaum (ORCID |
| Source: | Learning Disabilities Research & Practice. 2026 41(2):143-155. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education Elementary Education Grade 1 Primary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Hebrew, Grade 1, Elementary School Students, Handwriting, Writing Instruction, Orthographic Symbols, At Risk Students, Accuracy, Reading Fluency, Reading Comprehension |
| Geographic Terms: | Israel |
| DOI: | 10.1177/09388982261416136 |
| ISSN: | 0938-8982 1540-5826 |
| Abstract: | This study examined whether the type and timing of handwriting instruction (manuscript-first vs concurrent manuscript-and-cursive) influence first graders' reading performance in Hebrew. We further assessed whether effects vary between typical and at-risk readers. A total of 102 first graders participated. Classrooms were assigned to two conditions. One group learned manuscript handwriting throughout first grade, with cursive introduced only in the last 2 months; the other learned manuscript and cursive in parallel from the start of the year. Students were examined at the beginning of the year to check their language and letter-naming abilities before learning to read and again at the middle and at the end of the year to examine their reading fluency and comprehension. Results showed that by the end of the year, the manuscript group had higher scores on all reading measures. When students were divided into typical and at-risk readers based on end-of-year orthographic word recognition, typical readers in the manuscript group had higher fluency scores, whereas at-risk readers in the manuscript group had higher accuracy. Reading comprehension was also higher in the manuscript group for both reader types. Educational implications for the timing of cursive instruction in novice Hebrew readers are discussed in the context of reading development and orthographic characteristics. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1500428 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study examined whether the type and timing of handwriting instruction (manuscript-first vs concurrent manuscript-and-cursive) influence first graders' reading performance in Hebrew. We further assessed whether effects vary between typical and at-risk readers. A total of 102 first graders participated. Classrooms were assigned to two conditions. One group learned manuscript handwriting throughout first grade, with cursive introduced only in the last 2 months; the other learned manuscript and cursive in parallel from the start of the year. Students were examined at the beginning of the year to check their language and letter-naming abilities before learning to read and again at the middle and at the end of the year to examine their reading fluency and comprehension. Results showed that by the end of the year, the manuscript group had higher scores on all reading measures. When students were divided into typical and at-risk readers based on end-of-year orthographic word recognition, typical readers in the manuscript group had higher fluency scores, whereas at-risk readers in the manuscript group had higher accuracy. Reading comprehension was also higher in the manuscript group for both reader types. Educational implications for the timing of cursive instruction in novice Hebrew readers are discussed in the context of reading development and orthographic characteristics. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0938-8982 1540-5826 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/09388982261416136 |
