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| Photo credit, Michael Mabry |
A fascinating quick read which dissects studies that link handwriting to an improved ability to hold in information as well as express creativity.
Not going to lie, I've always been a big handwriting is important person but even I was starting this think maybe we were just keeping an archaic relic of our past alive for the sake of nostalgia. But the truth is handwriting is still important!
So what are your thoughts? Have you seen a decline in the teaching of handwriting in your own child's school?
Happy Thursday!
Grace
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ReplyDeleteThis looks so interesting- I can't wait to read it. Last week when Ev and I were having yet another battle about handwriting, I sat back and asked myself just WHY we're doing this. I came to a conclusion and this is what I told her- that every time she is tracing her cursive letters and repeating them herself, she's training her hands to do what she wants them to do. And the more she can be in charge of her hands, the more she'll be able to use her hands to do what her mind wants. I told her that no matter what she did in life, whether as an artist or a doctor or an airline pilot, this ability will serve her indefinitely! And somehow, that stuck with her. So, now I'm hoping that this article bears out my (personal) argument. Thanks for posting this, Grace!
ReplyDeleteGrace, I have spent the last year and half reading quite a few books on the Classical approach which includes these three stages: the Grammar Stage, the Dialectical stage and the Rhetorical stage. The idea is that these stages of learning build on one another and develop a mind capable of critical and deep thought. I can tell you that handwriting is a huge component in the Grammar stage and the classical curriculum program I worked for this past year could not overemphasize it's importance. Copywork, where the instructor reads a sentence and the child listens and copies it neatly on the paper helps do exactly what Alissa mentioned above. Interestingly, Maria Montessori insisted on cursive even for 3 year olds, because she felt the flow of cursive assist the flow necessary to blend sounds together when reading. I have been pleasantly surprised by our local parish school's handwriting program.
ReplyDeleteI really hope society doesn't completely drop the written word, handwritten notes and journals hold so much more sentimental and historical value and appeal than a inbox full of emails.