If you wanted to measure handwriting speed for a child who is 7 years old, which tool would be appropriate?

• A. ETCH
• B. SPM
• C. Print Tool
• D. None

Answer: (A)

Measuring handwriting speed in a seven-year-old requires an instrument that directly captures how quickly a child can produce letters and words under timed conditions. The Evaluation Tool of Children’s Handwriting (ETCH) is designed for school-age children and includes timed handwriting tasks that yield speed and fluency scores, alongside legibility. This combination lets you quantify how fast a child writes while also ensuring the writing remains legible, which is exactly what you need to assess speed in this age group. Other tools may focus more on legibility, formation, or different domains, and might not provide a reliable, age-appropriate speed measure. So ETCH is the most appropriate choice for this purpose.