Relationship between Fine Motor Proficiency and Letter Formation among Pre-Primary 1 Learners in Kakamega East Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya

There is a strong link between the physical domains under which there is development of fine motor skills that influence writing outcomes of preschool children. This has probed the need to look at the association between fine motor proficiency and writing outcomes. The purpose of this study was to establish the link between fine motor proficiency as a predictor of writing outcomes among pre-primary 1 learners. The study aimed at establishing the effect of fine motor proficiency on pen-handling, the influence of fine motor proficiency on writing legibility, as well as identification of the relationship between fine motor proficiency and letter formation among pre-primary 1 learners in Kakamega East sub-county, Kakamega County, Kenya. The theoretical framework incorporated two theories; the sociocultural theory of writing and Kepharts theory of visual motor development due to inadequacy of one theory to outline both fine motor proficiency and writing outcomes. The study adopted a survey research design as a means of establishing the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables and the study instruments used were preschool learners’ questionnaires which were filled with the help of their parents, teachers-in-charge interview schedules, observation checklists, and document analysis guide. The target population included 6 public pre-schools with 6 ECDE teachers-in-charge who were purposively sampled and 385 pre-primary 1 learners who were sampled using the proportionate sampling method. There was piloting of the study instruments to test for the research protocol. Validity was tested using the content validity method while reliability of the study instruments was tested using the test-retest method. Quantitative and qualitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics, frequencies and their percentages and means from the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SSPS). Linear regression was used to determine the relationship between the dependent (pen-handling, legible writing, and letter forming) and independent (fine motor proficiency) variables. Data gathered from the research instruments was presented in form of scatter graphs and tables. The findings of the study involved the importance of fine motor proficiency in learners letter formation hence recommendations of the study were the need for teachers and caregivers to ensure learners fine motor proficiency for better handwriting through provision of appropriate materials promoting fine motor skills. The findings and recommendations may be used by education policy makers and the Ministry of Education to come up with appropriate curriculum that will cater for the fine motor skill needs of pre-school children so as to enhance their writing outcomes.