An action research project about how to improve the support by primary school teachers of children who are delayed in their readiness to write.

This article examines the extent to which early career primary school teachers (ECTs) in the UK receive training on handwriting readiness and development during their initial teacher education. The study found that the majority of ECTs reported little to no instruction on handwriting development, prerequisites such as prewriting shapes, or how to identify and support children with handwriting difficulties, leading to low confidence in teaching handwriting. An occupational therapy (OT) workshop designed to address these gaps improved teachers’ understanding of handwriting developmental stages and intervention strategies, suggesting that OT-led training could enhance teacher preparedness and reduce unnecessary referrals to specialist services. The findings highlight a need for improved handwriting training in teacher education to better support children’s handwriting development and associated academic and emotional outcomes.