Handwriting & Learning

Technology is here to stay, and now that traditional education has taken a significant turn to remote learning, the new normal has minimized the importance of handwriting by some educators.   Now that students are submitting assignments via platforms such as Google Classroom, legible handwriting is not on the grading criteria. Some don’t realize that handwriting is more than copying classwork or writing assignments; it affects brain development and has a significant impact on academic performance. Studies show a direct correlation between handwriting, language, and literacy. There is something about writing notes to organize your thoughts for a paper, staying engaged during a lesson, and writing something nice on a greeting card. The day of passing a note to a friend in class is a thing of the past. Writing is part of socialization. If handwriting is considered unnecessary due to technology, younger children will miss out on the benefits handwriting has on the brain. Studies show how handwriting causes an increase in neural activity in parts of the brain (Olson, 2016), and it helps children learn. Handwriting is an art form that should continue in school curriculums.

References

Horowitz, S.H., (2018). The unexpected connection between handwriting

and learning to read. Retrieved from Link

Olson, N., (2016). Three ways that handwriting with a pen positively

affects your brain. Retrieved from Link