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In a Digital Age, Handwriting Curriculums Still Matter (edited)

Edited Subtitle

Sep 22 Chris T

With more and more learning occurring in digital environments, some may believe that spending precious instructional time on handwriting skills doesn’t make sense. But research suggests that handwriting skills can help develop critical thinking, and that instruction and practice in handwriting can more effectively connect reading with writing.
According to the National Reading Panel, letter knowledge is one of the two best predictors of reading proficiency, and it has been noted that the coordinated physical movement developed in learning handwriting helps students recognize letters as they read. And while it is widely known that reading and writing are naturally linked, research also supports the idea that handwriting skills play an important role in overall academic achievement.
Let’s take a closer look at how handwriting skills benefit students in and outside of school, as well as explore a handwriting method that can help students become agile writers and engaged, critical thinkers.

About the author

Chrissy TalboT

Elementary School Teacher

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Handwriting Skills and Academic Success

Learning to write is a gradual process, and it takes a number of years for students to develop legibility, fluency, and automaticity (fast, effortless word recognition) when they write. Studies suggest that the motor training involved in learning handwriting skills plays a crucial role in increasing mental representations of letters and may prevent graphic and spatial difficulties in students’ abilities across content areas. Students may also become better spellers because they have increased practice in learning how letters fit together to form words. Additionally.

Despite the widespread use of computers, legible handwriting is a skill in which students feel pride
Inspirational quote.

References

  • Alstad Z., Sanders, E., Abbott, R. D., Barnett, A. L., Henderson, S. E., Connelly, V., & Berninger, V. W. (2015). Modes of alphabet letter production during middle childhood and adolescence: Interrelationships with each other and other writing skills. Journal of Writing Research, 6(3), 199-231.
  • American College Testing. (2011). Scoring guidelines. http://www.actstudent.org/ writing/ scores/guidelines.html.
  • Christensen, C.A. & Jones, D. (2013). Handwriting: An underestimated skill in the development of written language. Handwriting Research: Impact on the Brain and Literacy Development, 48-158.
  • Feder, K.P. & Majnemer, A. (2007). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, Apr; 49(4), 312-317.
  • Graham, S., Harris, K.R. & Fink, B. (2013). Is handwriting causally related to learning to write? Treatment of handwriting problems in beginning writers. Handwriting Research: Impact on the Brain and Literacy Development, 159-166.
  • Langer, Judith A. & Applebee, Arthur N. (1986). Reading and writing Instruction: Toward a theory of teaching and learning. Review of Research in Education, Vol.13, 171-194.
  • Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read, (2000). https://www. nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/nrp/smallbook.
  • Semeraro, C., Coppola, G., Cassibba, R., & Lucangeli, D. (2019). Teaching of cursive writing in the first year of primary school: Effect on reading and writing skills. PLoS ONE 14(2): e0209978.
  • Trap-Porter, Jennifer, Cooper, John O., Hill, David S., Swisher, Karen & Lanunziata, Louis J. (1984) D'Nealian and Zaner-Bloser Manuscript Alphabets and Initial Transition to Cursive Handwriting, The Journal of Educational Research, 77:6, 343-345.
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