Handwritten info tends to be retained better than typed. Something about the physical act of writing makes it stick in the memory. Thereβs been a measurable downward tick in kidsβ ability to recall information when prompted, and it may be linked to more kids no longer writing. So thereβs 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 theyβre 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 thereβs that.
Handwriting hasnβt actually been replaced with typing. If you actually watch themβ¦they hunt and peck with one finger, because thatβs how touchscreens work. If would be different if the skill of handwriting had been replaced wholesale by typing, but as it stands it seems theyβre not learning EITHER skill very well. A kid without the skills to do either is a kid whoβs going to struggle to communicate clearly beyond a certain level of complexity.
Itβs not the handwriting itself. Itβs everything the handwriting practice helps them develop.
Thatβs just it though. Theyβre NOT being taught through other methods. Kids are measurably getting worse at fine motor skills, and picking them up at later ages, because theyβre being given fewer and fewer chances to practice. Kids are doing less drawing, less messy craft, less of just about everything hands on.
Writing is one of the few options we have that we can guarantee every child - no matter what materials they have access to at home, no matter how involved their parents may or may not be - has ample opportunity to do.
I get it. Handwriting can be a pain in the backside. Iβm literally sitting here with a diagnosed disability that makes it super hard for me - I have cerebral palsy, my fine motor skills are shite - so I absolutely get it. I still handwrite when I can, because itβs some of the best skill development/reinforcement you can do for fine motor.
Theyβre doing much, much less of it at homeβ¦which means that there are a lot of kids coming into primary school with already extant skill gaps. Thatβs WHY theyβre trialling ECE stuff for slightly older kids - because the kids havenβt learned it yet, when they should have.
When I say βtheyβre not doing it at homeβ I was referring to fine motor skills in general. Because theyβre not drawing, not crafting, not playing with the tactile stuff as much.
They come in behind on fine motor generally. Writing is a consistent, every day activity - right from the absolute basics of the alphabet or number recognition and learning to spell/write their own name - that strengthens fine motor skills. If we take writing away as a daily thing, weβre going to struggle to come up with an equivalent activity that can be done as frequently, by as many children, in as many different settings, as writing is.
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Why the slow decay of childrenβs handwriting skills spells trouble (www.theage.com.au)
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