Publication Name	World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics
Manuscript ID	126503
DOI	10.5409/wjcp.126503
Country	India

Category	Pediatrics
Manuscript Type	Observational Study
Article Title	Legibility and speed: Co-occurring difficulties in children’s handwriting proficiency
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Revathi Krishnakumar, Anbarasi Muthusamy and Rajkumar Gajendran
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Rajkumar Gajendran, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Villa 189, Casa Grande Pavilion, Kelambakkam 603103, Tamil Nadu, India. grkmedico@gmail.com
Key Words	Handwriting proficiency; Legibility; Handwriting speed; Teacher-observed well-being; Children; Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire; Gender differences; Handedness
Core Tip	Legibility and speed are often assumed to trade off. In teacher-completed Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire ratings of 1513 Indian schoolchildren aged 6-14 years, legibility and speed difficulties were instead strongly and positively correlated, even after adjustment for age. Both were also strongly associated with teacher-observed well-being, although the same teacher rated all three domains, which may inflate these associations. Boys received slightly higher difficulty ratings than girls, and handedness showed no association. Because the data are cross-sectional, these are associations only; mechanism, prediction, and screening value need testing with direct handwriting measures and longitudinal designs.
Citation	Krishnakumar R, Muthusamy A, Gajendran R. Legibility and speed: Co-occurring difficulties in children’s handwriting proficiency. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.126503
PDF	126503-in-press.pdf

Received	2026-08-06 02:12
Peer-Review Started	2026-08-06 02:12
First Decision by Editorial Office Director
Return for Revision	2026-10-12 02:18
Revised	2026-10-23 15:22
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-11-13 03:17
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-11-13 10:27
Articles in Press	2026-11-13 10:27
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2219-2808 (online)
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Copyright	©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
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