Why the slow decay of children’s handwriting skills spells trouble
Why the slow decay of children’s handwriting skills spells trouble
Growing numbers of students are typing rather than writing their exams, due to fears their messy or illegible penmanship will hurt their marks.
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Am I missing something? Aside from the below comment, I can't see anything that really talks about why handwriting is important.
“We know that fluency in thinking and fluency in writing are intimately linked.”
Why does the decline in student handwriting "spell trouble"?
Handwritten info tends to be retained better than typed. Something about the physical act of writing makes it stick in the memory. There’s been a measurable downward tick in kids’ ability to recall information when prompted, and it may be linked to more kids no longer writing. So there’s that.
Handwriting is some of the most consistent practice kids get with fine motor skills in general. More and more kids are learning to do things like tie their shoes, button or zip their own clothing, open packets or manipulate a pair of scissors later than expected, because they’re getting less opportunity - between less writing, less drawing, less messy art/craft stuff, less of everything hands on - to develop strength and control in their hands. So there’s that.
Handwriting hasn’t actually been replaced with typing. If you actually watch them…they hunt and peck with one finger, because that’s how touchscreens work. If would be different if the skill of handwriting had been replaced wholesale by typing, but as it stands it seems they’re not learning EITHER skill very well. A kid without the skills to do either is a kid who’s going to struggle to communicate clearly beyond a certain level of complexity.
It’s not the handwriting itself. It’s everything the handwriting practice helps them develop.
I absolutely retain information differently from writing and online notes. Ditto reading print and electronic media. Bills also, print stuck to the fridge gets paid, anything email evaporates out of my brain.
I used writing by hand as a mnemonic device with adolescents gaining literacy late. Writing by hand requires the use of a part of the brain not utilised in typing. It requires involvement at a great depth.
I get all that - I still feel that the best way to commit to memory when I take notes in meetings is to handwrite my notes.
My point is that the article doesn't go into any detail about why declining handwriting in students "spells trouble". It's a shitty headline for what the article actually reports.