Handwriting and Learning

Pediatric occupational therapists spend a significant of time working on the handwriting skills of students. With all of the technology that is available today, more and more children are not getting the handwriting practice they once were (nor are adults for that matter). Now 44 states have adopted the Common Core Curriculum Standards which does not include cursive instruction. It is not just about learning to write words though. Here are some research studies that have shown a connection between how the brain learns and handwriting:

• MRI studies have shown that handwriting can help to learn letters and shapes and improve writing composition and ideas
• Functional MRI results showed that children had enhanced neural activity when handwriting letters rather than just viewing letters
• When comparing writing by hand to typing on a keyboard, the subjects who wrote by hand had improved and longer lasting recognition of the proper orientation of characters
• Children in 2nd, 4th and 6th grade had improved writing in terms of word count, speed and expression of ideas when hand writing versus using a keyboard
• Test scores can be influenced by handwriting legibility

So the next time someone suggests that children do not need to practice handwriting due to the digital age, you can refer to some of the above research to justify why handwriting should continue to be taught.

To read more on this topic you can go to the Wall Street Journal article. Below is a video on the same topic.

References:
Lerner, E. When Cursive Cried Wolf. Retrieved from the web at http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2011/08/when-cursive-cried-wolf-1.html

Bounds, G. How Handwriting Trains the Brain. Retrieved from the web at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704631504575531932754922518.html