It is a common remark we come across these days: “My handwriting is becoming worse every day”, or “I’ve forgotten how to use a pen,” almost half in jest. Writing with one’s hand is becoming a dying art today. This is unfortunate because research suggests that handwriting actually has more advantages than just improving the design on paper. It actually develops our cognitive skills, especially thinking, organization and creativity.
Millennials and Gen Zs probably find it strange, but it was only a decade ago that cursive writing was encouraged. Young kids practiced writing on four-lined paper and would even have handwriting tests and competitions. All that is a thing of the past, going by latest classroom practices. But even today, research suggests that handwriting should be encouraged because it develops many skills.
There are actually neurological benefits to writing by hand. According to researchers, tracing the letters of the alphabet by hand leads to better recognition and retention of the letters and words. This leads to better memory which helps in literacy.
The same is true of adults and adult learners in higher education. Handwriting notes makes it easier to remember content, make connections between phrases and understand a concept better. This also makes sense when taking notes because we write what we want to and how we want to – including flowcharts, bullets, short forms and doodles. All these are unique characteristics which help us to process information and make connections in a way that make sense to us.
Today, younger learners are typing entire papers with their laptops or tablets, falling back on the digital systems to autocorrect and suggest synonyms or even alternative sentences. Clearly, this is doing little to the processing capacities of the individual who has outsourced drafting, correcting and formatting to a technological source.
Research on brain imaging suggests that handwriting is actually quite a complex process involving specific parts of the brain coordinating with muscles of the hand to create shapes that make sense. Just holding a pen involves thoughts and choices of angle, pressure and direction. We can see young children learn to make such choices, even if unconsciously.
All this is lost when writing on a screen. Although it does involve pressing the right buttons or the right part of the screen, there are no other choices involved, and thus, no further learning to do.
Insisting on handwriting is not just a nostalgic gesture. Moving with the times is important and making use of technology is the only way to stay relevant, but that does not always mean discarding older habits completely. Handwriting is a valuable skill that goes beyond putting pen to paper – it involves cognitive abilities and also reveals and develops one’s personality. The process of writing helps us to clarify ideas, make connections and even come up with original thoughts.
It is imperative that educational institutions, especially at the primary level, be aware of such research and encourage teachers and parents to give children opportunities to handwrite in class and at home so that we don’t just allow the process of learning to be taken over by a machine.
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