Jj is for Jottings 164. More Benefits of Handwriting.

The title refers to more benefits of handwriting because some time ago I wrote an article on how handwriting boosts brain power.  This time, we are looking at different aspects of the positive effects of handwriting on our lives.  And some of these may never have even crossed our minds.

In the days before keyboards, many schools (not including mine) had a system of children having to qualify for the right to use a pen.  Everybody was taught handwriting with pencil and paper first.  (Pencils are easier to control than either ink pens or ball point pens.)  You had to reach a certain level of mastery before you achieved your pen licence.  And this also led to pride in one’s handwriting ability and a sense of achievement.

Here are some of the benefits of writing by hand, as opposed to typing on a keyboard.

HANDWRITING REPRESENTS OUR PERSONALITY.

When we are typing with suggestions from spelling and grammar apps, we are not writing freely and creatively.  These apps put limits on using language creatively – if you follow their suggestions.  I have noticed many times that an app is trying to change my sentence structure, but their suggestion is not at all how I want to express myself.  If we followed all their suggestions we’d all come across as being very similar.  No thanks.  Each person needs to find their own voice.

HANDWRITING CAN EVOKE MEMORIES.

Adding to the personality coming through handwritten letters, just seeing the handwriting of a loved one, particularly after they have died, can evoke memories and connection with that person.   The actual handwriting is so individual that its very appearance can have a profound impact, even before you read what they have written.  Add the handwriting itself to the content of the writing, and you have really powerful memories.  If you found the same message in an email, for example, it would not have nearly so great an impact.  And we are less likely to keep personal emails long-term, but we may have a box full of cherished letters from the past.

This Could Be Important For Those Suffering From Dementia.

As we are all aware, dementia is on the rise.  I suspect there would be very few families who have not been touched by it.  Anything we can use to trigger memories and stimulate those loved ones can have a very positive effect on the quality of their lives.

I have a much-loved aunt with dementia.  When she was young she travelled and worked overseas with a group of friends.  She kept a journal of her adventures.  Recently she began re-reading her journal, and it sparked a huge and happy outpouring of memories and of re-living her experiences.  And the memories went beyond just what was written in the journal, as one thing led to another and another.  It was wonderful to see.  In this case it was her own hand-writing, but what she was reading was just as it had flowed from her brain.  Much more compelling than a typed and edited version of the same journal.

HANDWRITING ENABLES TEACHERS TO BETTER EVALUATE STUDENT PROGRESS.

Where teachers encourage children to just cross out or bracket handwritten errors and keep writing, they can see how the student is thinking and re-thinking, correcting spelling errors etc.  It’s a running record of their progress.  Having spelling and grammar checks is a passive thing – it pops up on the computer and you just accept it.  It’s not going to make you think carefully about how you spell a word.  However if students write a word and it looks wrong, they have another go (and perhaps another) until it looks right.  This is active learning, and has much better outcomes.  And when the teacher sees these attempts and changes – in spelling, grammar and choice of words – there is a much clearer picture of how students are operating.

WRITING BY HAND LEADS TO GREATER CREATIVITY.

This follows on from the previous point.  When we type, erasing an idea is as simple as pressing the delete button. Writing by hand, however, forces us to cross out rejected sentences. Why does this matter? Though we may cross out sentences as we write, those sentences remain on the paper and in our brain. This creates a sort of guide in our subconscious, and that guide is necessary to put together our very best work.

CHILDREN WHO WRITE BY HAND DO BETTER IN SCHOOL.

Multiple studies have found a positive correlation between handwriting skills and academic success. One such study was published about this in the Journal of Early Childhood Education and Development. 1,000 students in their first year of school were evaluated.  By Grade 2, those who consistently practised handwriting outperformed the other children in both reading and maths.  The other children had either not had the practice, or had learned on a digital platform.

And, as further proof of improved educational outcomes…

Writing by hand leads to better composition.

In 2009, research in Washington found that primary school students who wrote creative stories with a pen on paper far exceeded the performance of their peers. Not only were the writers able to complete their assignments more quickly than the typers, but they also wrote longer compositions with more complete sentences.

Choosing the appropriate words can be difficult. Choosing this word instead of another creates a dilemma that involves critical thinking. When you write by hand, in comparison to typing or even touching a screen by finger, it allows you to think more thoroughly about the information you’re recording. Furthermore, handwriting encourages you to expand upon your thoughts and form connections between them.

Many novelists prefer to compose their first drafts in longhand form — that is, with pencil and paper — despite having access to a computer or typewriter.  This ties in with writing by hand leading to greater creativity, as outlined earlier.

WRITING WITH PENCIL ON PAPER BUILDS VISUAL PROCESSING SKILLS.

Visual processing skills are important for any child to learn, and writing by hand is an excellent way to develop them. Practising with pencil and paper will help children develop spatial processing (right, left, top, bottom), spatial awareness (what else can fit on a line?), and executive function skills.

PROPER HANDWRITING TECHNIQUE BENEFITS THE WHOLE BODY.

“Proper” means with the correct posture, paper position and pencil grip.  Proper posture leads to appropriate, natural strengthening of the shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers.  This is vital for success in other areas of life, such as holding and carrying objects, cutting with scissors, playing the piano, cutting food, and so on.  Joints move in natural ways when writing.  Adults who spend much time on the computer frequently complain of joint pain, carpal tunnel and tech neck.

With these benefits comes the link between movement and learning.

HANDWRITING HELPS THOSE WITH DYSLEXIA.

This refers to cursive (i.e. “joined up” writing) in particular.  All letters in cursive start on a baseline and the pen moves fluidly from left to right.  As a result, cursive is easier to learn for dyslexic students who have trouble forming words correctly. Dyslexia has significantly increased nowadays while kids are closer to smartphones and tablets and do less handwriting work.

Because of its artistic elements, cursive is the only type of writing to stimulate both sides of the brain. Additionally, numerous studies have shown that those who write in cursive almost always write faster and more neatly than their peers.  This applies to all, not just those with dyslexia.

HANDWRITING CAN HELP WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY.

Pouring out your thoughts onto paper when you feel emotional, depressed or anxious can be very therapeutic.  It can help you feel calmer.  What’s more, since you connect to words more when you physically write them out, you can process a problem more easily when you write it down.

THERE ARE NO DISTRACTIONS ON PAPER.

When a student – or anyone, for that matter – is typing their work, there are all sorts of digital distractions available at their fingertips.  Writing on paper has no such distractions.

Other benefits of handwriting – NOTE-TAKING, FINE MOTOR SKILLS, MEMORY AND BRAIN ACTIVITY – are all included in the article on handwriting boosts brain power mentioned at the start of this article.

We close with this thought: writing exercises the brain; typing exercises the fingers.  Although, even better, writing also exercises the fingers, so that’s two for one.

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