Handwriting may seem like a thing of the past when classrooms are filled with laptops and smartphones, but it is still fundamental to education.
Builds better reading and writing skills
Learning handwriting at a young age develops stronger connections in a child’s brain. The process of physically writing a letter helps kids to associate the word with its distinct sound and identity. In fact, it was found that young children who used devices to type rather than writing on paper had a harder time distinguishing between similar letters like “b” and “d”. Handwriting builds a foundation for skills necessary for later in life.
Creates fine motor skills
Writing helps develop muscle memory in the hand, creating fine motor skills which are important for a variety of everyday actions. Practicing handwriting helps improve coordination and strengthens those skills for the future.
Develops fluency and speed
The repetition of handwriting increases students' fluency in reading and speed in writing. This is especially important as they reach higher levels of education, where assessments and projects are often on paper.
Allows for more organic and clearer flow of thoughts
Taking the time to process one’s thoughts on paper and pen allows for a clearer expression of ideas. If you’re typing, it’s really easy to go back and edit as you go, breaking up the stream of consciousness style of writing and fragmenting your writing. Writing everything on paper means you just write continuously until you reach a stopping point and then go back and review later.
Helps with memory
Handwriting builds connections in one’s brain, something that typing on a computer doesn’t do. Even if you are just copying something, your brain processes the information that you are writing, building your understanding and knowledge of a topic. Over time, writing can help you learn a lot more than typing can.
Handwriting is a very important skill that impacts many abilities, which is why it's important to practice! If you sign up for one of our workshops at WriteOn! Learning, your child will be able to get personalized instruction and practice, helping them grow as a writer.