Handwriting Makes Children Smarter
In an increasingly digital world, it seems that writing by hand little by little loses importance. In fact, children are increasingly doing homework on computers or mobile devices. However, writing by hand is a skill that is important to continue working on, even if little by little it loses relevance as a skill or competence.
And, according to a study carried out by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology published in Frontiers magazine , handwriting makes children smarter. According to this research, the brain shows that handwriting helps children learn more and remember better.
Why does handwriting make children smarter?
Previous studies have already shown that both children and adults learn more and remember better when they write by hand. However, this study goes further and compares the differences in learning produced by the use of handwriting instead of the keyboard.
The researchers conducted a first investigation in 2017 with young people and adults and a second in 2020, including children. On both occasions they used electroencephalography (EEG) to track and record brain wave activity and capture the electrical activity taking place in the brain.
The results showed that the brains of young adults and children are much more active when typing by hand than when typing on a keyboard. According to the researchers, the use of pencil and paper gives the brain more “hooks” to hang its memories.
This is due, they explain, to the fact that ” writing by hand creates much more activity in the sensorimotor parts of the brain, because many senses are activated by pressing the pencil on the paper, seeing the letters you write and listening to the sound you make when writing” . These sensory experiences, they add, “create contact between different parts of the brain and open it up for learning . “
The importance of handwriting at school
The development of digital skills in school allows children to learn to use computers and mobile devices from kindergarten, thanks to the use of the mouse and touch screens. However, this increase should not be detrimental to writing skills.
In fact, the researchers highlight that both their own studies and those of others emphasize the importance of writing and drawing from an early age, especially in school.
But the current situation is quite different. On the one hand, we are faced with the fact that children use screens a lot, both for their study and for their leisure. The situation derived from the very complicated world health moment that we are living in has increased the use of computers and has highlighted the importance that digital reality will suppose in schools in the immediate future.
In relation to this, the researchers are concerned, because, “given the development of recent years, we run the risk that one or more generations lose the ability to write by hand . ” In fact, they add this and other research, “shows that this would be a very unfortunate consequence” of increased digital activity.
Using the keyboard creates less frustration for children
In the debate over handwriting or keyboarding in school, the researchers explain, some teachers believe that keyboards are less frustrating for kids. In fact, they emphasize that children can write longer texts and in less time helps them to remain more motivated to write due to their mastery of the keyboard.
Regarding this, the researchers stress the importance of handwriting from a motor point of view. “Writing by hand requires control of your fine motor skills and your senses,” they explain. That is why they add that “it is important to put the brain in a learning state as often as possible . “
Regarding the fact that writing by hand makes children smarter …
In short, acquiring new skills adapted to the new times and new digital skills is essential in order not to be left behind. However, it is also important to offer all possible challenges to our brain so that it reaches its maximum potential, as well as not to lose skills that are really useful, although their use varies with time.
