This study examined whether informal medical assessments could be used by classroom teachers to assess fine-motor ability and if there is any connection between fine-motor ability and reading achievement. Subjects were 174 half-day kindergarten children from whole-language classrooms in three states. Subjects were pretested in October and posttested in May for fine-motor ability and writing ability. Assessments included a checklist for early writing ability, and a test for Replicating Geometric Shapes, the Finger Agnosia Test, the finger dexterity test, and nine items on the Basic School Skills Inventory (BSSI). Results confirmed that low reading achievements and deficits in fine-motor ability appear related. Further, it does seem feasible for classroom teachers to use informal medical assessments to assess progress in fine-motor ability. The implication for whole-language classrooms is that lack of writing ability may impede achievement in reading. (HTH)