Writing engages multiple parts of the brain, connecting thinking, movement, and sensation into a single activity that fosters critical thinking abilities.
Legibility should always be at the forefront when teaching handwriting. Students should learn how to space words and letters appropriately to ensure proper legibility.
Utilizing numbered arrows and starting points for letter formation can assist with creating more consistent letter forms while practicing “skywriting” (forming letters in midair) can also be advantageous.
It’s a form of communication
Writing by hand is an excellent form of communication that teaches children important cognitive skills such as memory, concentration, and accountability while helping them express emotions and thoughts more openly. Writing also improves fine motor skills as well as sensory perception and processing abilities.
If a child struggles to remember what needs to be done at school, writing down a list may help them stay on top of their assignments and enhance their performance at school. Writing lists also helps children remember chores or appointments they may need to complete in the future. Keeping these lists in a prominent place can help them learn responsibility and keep family members on the same page.
One tool that parents love is a whiteboard. This provides a place where chores and other tasks can be easily accessible. A custom size dry erase board like the ones from Team Fitz Graphics is a great tool for families to help foster community, writing skills, and accountability. Best of all, these can be customized for any environment.
You could choose to create a whiteboard to take up an entire wall in your home or find one that can be hung inside a pantry door or anywhere that could be concealed when necessary.
Handwriting also offers several other advantages that cannot be beaten: it’s more difficult to be distracted while taking notes this way and as a result, students are more likely to understand class or lecture material, leading to better long-term memory recall and being more likely to ask questions during class.
Handwriting allows for greater creativity than typing does, as noted by notable writers such as Stephen King, Angela Carter, and Quentin Tarantino who prefer writing by hand to help focus on their task and slow down to carefully consider and compose more coherent works.
It’s more personal
Handwriting is a universal form of expression. It requires coordination between cognitive and linguistic processes for optimal results.
People use handwriting for communication as well as self-reflection or study purposes; regardless of its purpose, handwritten documents provide personalized and meaningful products that often become treasured keepsakes over printed ones.
Students should receive explicit handwriting instruction and practice it regularly, with emphasis placed on execution, legibility, speed, and correct posture. Proper pencil mechanics and posture should also be taught.
Aside from improving grip and movement techniques with writing instruments such as pencils or pens, students should learn correct letter formation, including the positioning of tall letters (such as E’s) on baseline lines as well as “subtractive letters”, such as P, Q, J R U V W letters on subtracted lines like P Q J R U V and W letters under these lines. You can click the link: https://parade.com/handwriting-analysis/ for more information.
It’s more creative
Writing by hand demands more creative thought and consideration than typing on a keyboard, as it forces you to slow down and carefully consider each word before writing them down.
You can use this time to explore new ideas or connect existing ones – creating a more thorough understanding of a subject matter while coming up with unconventional solutions to problems.
Handwriting improves legibility, speed, and fluency while simultaneously strengthening reading, language, and critical thinking abilities. Handwriting helps students to acquire an enhanced grasp of letter formation such as directionality (i.e. being able to form letters left-right); this skill is especially crucial in preliterate children.
Handwriting can help enhance focus and reduce distractions. For instance, writing class notes without checking email or social media may help if your attention wanders easily; some physicians even recommend handwriting as an activity to maintain mental fitness and delay cognitive decline in older adults. You can visit this site for more tips on improving focus.
It’s more methodical
Many teachers believe that handwriting has a greater effect on learning than typing. Handwriting engages areas of the brain related to reading, working memory, and language that typing doesn’t touch, thus helping children who write by hand outperform those who type only.
Handwriting requires attention and focused thought. Children learn to plan their thoughts carefully when writing by hand and this skill carries over into other aspects of learning such as math and reading. Handwriting also builds organizational skills by keeping track of homework assignments, chores, school events, birthdays, etc.
Handwriting helps children develop accountability and responsibility as it’s easier to forget something written than spoken aloud.
