The project "Writing Motor Skills: Certification of Schools" (Zertifikat Schreibmotorik-Schule: ZSS) faces the current problems with handwriting in Europe - as well as the lack of motor precursor skills in an extensive way. Neuroscientific studies from the USA, the UK and France show how important writing by hand is - even in a digital world. Schools in Europe should be given the opportunity to become certified in the field of writing motor skills in a sustainable way. In this way, they ensure in-house that they work out this complex topic systematically, and externally, a profiling in a relevant area of cultural and intellectual development becomes visible. As primary target groups, school management is involved. as representatives of school development and quality assurance, as well as pedagogical staff specialized in school subjects relevant for the motoric development of the child . They will be extensively trained. The importance of motor skills, rhythm, muscles and spatial / three-dimensional orientation for the writing process is taken into account in the Project. Secondary target groups are pupils in their increasing heterogeneity. The individuality of the support refers to both fine/coarse motor deficits as well as corresponding talents and the range of previous writing experiences (e.g. migration). A toolbox for assessing the individual progress does not exist yet, it will be developed in the ZSS project. Parents, as indispensable learning partners , as well as relevant committees and experts in the context of the school, will also be involved. Outputs are a writing motor skills certification manual for schools, extensive training and training material for teachers and other pedagogical staff in schools for the subject-related and individualised promotion of pupils, a toolbox of resource and a progress assessment tool, supporting material for parents, a target-group-specific digital learning, assessment and process support environment, and a comprehensive experience report on the pilot certifications to support certification decisions of schools and to foster the sustainability of the project activities. The project is innovative in many cases: the topic, the corresponding certification, the consideration of all relevant school subjects and of the entire diversity spectrum of the children, as well as the digital support of all learning activities and of the certification processes. Sustainability is continuously considered and is ideally ensured by the syndicated involvement of school authorities, which have an intrinsic interest in the results and are "pushers" of school certification processes.
Studies show that an increasing number of pupils are having difficulties with handwriting. However, this topic is rarely a focus of teachers’ training programs, although it has been proven that the ability to write by hand is e.g. essential for achieving reading comprehension skills, therefore having a positive effect on entire pupils’ school careers. The goal of the project therefore was to enable schools to comprehensively focus on handwriting skills and to achieve long-term certification regarding this topic. The primary target groups were school administrators in the interest of school development and quality assurance, as well as teachers of various subjects dependent on motor skills. In developing and encouraging handwriting skills, the significance of motor skills, rhythmic and muscular development and spatial orientation was to be demonstrated. The secondary target group was the pupils themselves, with their increasing level of heterogeneity. The focus hereby was on the individual needs of pupils, with their range of deficits to special talents in regard to fine and gross motor skills. Parents, as well as relevant committees and experts in consultation with local schools, were also included.
The project “Certificate Writing Motor Skills School: Prerequisites for writing ability” comprehensively addresses the current struggles with handwriting as well as the lack of motor skills required for writing by hand. The importance of writing by hand in the era of digitalization is documented in neuroscientific studies. Schools in Europe should have the opportunity to qualify for long-term certification in the field of handwriting skills. Schools would ensure internally that they are systematically dealing with this complex issue, while externally demonstrating their qualifications in a culturally and intellectually relevant topic. The project is innovative on many fronts: The topic itself and its respective certification, taking all relevant school subjects and the spectrum of diversity into account, digital support of all learning activities as well as the process of certification. Participating partners are the catalysts behind the process of certification and guarantee the long-term success of the project, supported by consortial participation of school boards, the Competence Center of Motoric Development under the purview of the Department of Education, as well as the well-established Schreibmotorik Institut.