Why Write when You Can Text… or type, click, point, or use co-pilot?
Because writing by hand makes a difference!
Years ago, Oregon’s Common Core Standards threw out the teaching of cursive writing. Currently, 41 states don’t require it. Why? Well, of course we live in the digital age. Learning cursive writing or writing an essay by hand is an antiquated practice. We need digital literacy. We don’t want to be considered luddites.
Smart move? No!
Audrey van der Meer runs a brain research lab in Norway. She has spent 20 years demonstrating that the physical act of writing by hand changes the brain in ways keyboarding does not. A hard reliance on digital literacy diminishes learning and what is called neurological connectivity. You can read a published article presenting her work in Frontiers in Psychology here.
My take away from what I read: reintroduce the teaching of cursive writing in your home school. One resource is Handwriting Without Tears, available from many book sellers. Another is Handwriting Program for Cursive, by Phyllis Bertin and Eileen Perlman.
For older students, provide learning experiences in which they take notes by hand. Have them, from time to time, actually write an essay by hand. Learning and retention will increase.
Is this a practical practice to be used all the time? Of course not. There is no getting away completely from the tech world we now live in. Context informs our use of the tools of technology. However, technology should not be our default mode of learning.
Thanks for reading!
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
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