The Pen Is Mightier Than The Keyboard: The Benefits of Explicit Handwriting Instruction
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Presentation Type
Asynchronous
Entry Number
2323
School
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department
Education
Keywords
Handwriting; Orthographic Mapping; Legibility; Graphomotor Skills
Abstract
Studies of handwriting instruction point to students’ skilled reading and spelling acquisition as a benefit of handwriting practice. Scientific imaging of the human brain captures highlighted regions associated with sensorimotor skills. These same regions illuminate when used during handwriting. Research indicates these images prove sensorimotor activities facilitate learning and the foundational skills necessary during reading acquisition (Ying, et. al., 2024). All teachers and administrators can benefit from learning how handwriting practice provides “irreplaceable advantages” that digital devices and typing do not, and therefore demonstrate why a return to pen and paper use can support school-wide literacy growth. Research shows the significant role handwriting plays in reinforcing learning for the reading and writing brain. A review of evidence-based experiments from peer-reviewed journal articles informs teachers regarding methods for incorporating handwriting strategies with younger students as well as with special populations of students. Therefore, by understanding the role that handwriting plays, along with practical suggestions for instructional practice, educators will understand how sensorimotor skills used when writing by hand enhance instruction and intervention in the classroom.
Primary Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Stefanie Copp
Primary Faculty Mentor(s) Department
Dr. Stefanie Copp
Additional Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Autumn Dodge
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The Pen Is Mightier Than The Keyboard: The Benefits of Explicit Handwriting Instruction
Studies of handwriting instruction point to students’ skilled reading and spelling acquisition as a benefit of handwriting practice. Scientific imaging of the human brain captures highlighted regions associated with sensorimotor skills. These same regions illuminate when used during handwriting. Research indicates these images prove sensorimotor activities facilitate learning and the foundational skills necessary during reading acquisition (Ying, et. al., 2024). All teachers and administrators can benefit from learning how handwriting practice provides “irreplaceable advantages” that digital devices and typing do not, and therefore demonstrate why a return to pen and paper use can support school-wide literacy growth. Research shows the significant role handwriting plays in reinforcing learning for the reading and writing brain. A review of evidence-based experiments from peer-reviewed journal articles informs teachers regarding methods for incorporating handwriting strategies with younger students as well as with special populations of students. Therefore, by understanding the role that handwriting plays, along with practical suggestions for instructional practice, educators will understand how sensorimotor skills used when writing by hand enhance instruction and intervention in the classroom.
Comments
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XgJO7VHR0mPILVQ8jVbbHlAfG-xgNwMICKaiPWKvQsM/edit?usp=sharing