Handwriting in the News A collection of research and perspectives about the power, importance and relevance of handwriting and its role in the age of technology.

Connecting the dots between handwriting and high scores CNN Schools of Thought / Feb. 03, 2012 "...the academic achievement by those with better penmanship is seen in both reading and math, and it’s reflected in both teachers’ grades and standardized test scores" Click Here to View Article How writing by hand makes kids smarter The Week / October 6, 2009 "Study after study suggests that handwriting is important for brain development and cognition — helping kids hone fine motor skills and learn to express and generate ideas." Click Here to View Article Handwriting is Beneficial to Children's Cognitive Development fyi Living / February 22, 2011 "Some studies have revealed that in the actual act of writing by hand you must use your motor skills to copy a letter graphically, a slower process that actually aids in cognitive development. This review examined the effects of technical or mechanized writing on cognitive development and writing and other finer skills in children; and also how daily mechanized writing has affected the hand/brain relationship in learning." Click Here to View Article Perfecting the Art of Writing Well The Hindu / May 9, 2011 "When it comes to scoring in exams, handwriting makes a difference. In today's competitive examination scenario, you cannot afford to lose marks because of your writing. That's why parents are anxious that kids develop tidy handwriting,” says A. Jeyapaul, who has been conducting classes every summer for the last 15 years at R.C. Higher Secondary School." Click Here to View Article The Case for Cursive New York Times / April 27, 2011 "The sinuous letters of the cursive alphabet, swirled on countless love letters, credit card slips and banners above elementary school chalk boards are going the way of the quill and inkwell. With computer keyboards and smartphones increasingly occupying young fingers, the gradual death of the fancier ABC’s is revealing some unforeseen challenges." Click Here to View Article Is Cursive Dead? Not on Your Life. Slate / April 29, 2011 "When we don't teach penmanship, the result is an ugly, unaesthetic, and illegible script," says Fischer. "Ugliness is unimportant. Aesthetics are unimportant to many people. But illegibility defeats the purpose of writing. There must be a standard." Click Here to View Article How Handwriting Builds Character The Atlantic / July 11, 2011 "Learning handwriting may be good for the brain. It may even inspire surprisingly memorable advertising. But does it also prevent crime? That's what the conservative physician and cultural critic Theodore Dalrymple (Anthony Daniels) maintains when deploring the state of Indiana's decision to abolish mandatory cursive instruction" Click Here to View Article Why Handwriting is Important Articles Base / June 16, 2011 "When children are comfortable forming letters correctly, they are better equipped to process letters automatically during reading and writing, freeing them to focus on the meaning of the words.  This skill affects children's performance in every academic subject, including science and math." Click Here to View Article Handwriting is Real Problem for Children with Autism Science Daily/ November 2009 "Handwriting skills are crucial for success in school, communication, and building children's self-esteem. The first study to examine handwriting quality in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has uncovered a relationship between fine motor control and poor quality of handwriting in children with ASD, according to research published in the November 10, 2009, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology." Click Here to View Article New Study: Handwritten Notes Essential to Knowledge Workers Gamut News / May 23, 2011 "Today’s device-centric information workers rely on handwritten notes and believe that better integration of handwritten notes and spoken information with their digital workflow would significantly improve professional productivity." Click Here to View Article The Most Underrated Creativity and Productivity Tool The Next Web / July 17, 2011 "Whether it’s a mundane to-do list or the beginnings of a best-selling novel, using a pen and paper can be very satisfying, if not a little messy. The act of putting pen to paper, of making an effort, together with your inherently personal handwriting has both practical and emotional benefits." Click Here to View Article Do You Write in Cursive? New York Times / April 29, 2011 "Websites go down without maintenance, digital mediums become obsolete, email providers change, unexpected tragedies cut people off from the internet. I have a pile of floppy disks from technological eons ago, containing information I may never see again, and an AOL email account that I have no idea how to access anymore. I do, however, have access to all my old written papers and a ton of handwritten letters, as well as a means of easy communication that doesn’t rely on a phone or laptop or anything else that may fail when I need it." Click Here to View Article Lost Art of Handwriting Australia's Manly Daily / April 29, 2011 “There is research that stipulates that children who have difficulty with handwriting may suffer academically." The development of fine motor skills such as dexterity and visual spatial skills comes through handwriting, Mr Petrovic said." Click Here to View Article The many health perks of good handwriting The LA Times / June 15, 2011 "Emerging research shows that handwriting increases brain activity, hones fine motor skills, and can predict a child's academic success in ways that keyboarding can't." Click Here to View Article The Power of the Handwritten Note ClickZ / September 15, 2011 Four reasons why cards and notes can be a good investment for your career. Click Here to View Article Handwriting is a 21st Century Skill The Atlantic / April 26, 2011 "Neurologist Frank Wilson, author of The Hand: How its Use Shapes the Brain, Language and Human Culture, says, "Although the repetitive drills that accompany handwriting lessons seem outdated, such physical instruction will help students to succeed." Click Here to View Article Children Who Rely on Computers Could Develope Fear of Using Pen and Paper UgleePen Blog / May 19, 2011 "Students are becoming scared of handwritten tasks as there is no spelling or grammar check tool to pick up their mistakes as they go along. ... the study also found that those who used keyboards were slower and produced essays of a much lower standard." Click Here to View Article Is Cursive a Dying Art in the Classroom Time NewsFeed / April 2011 "Moreover, according to Sandy Schefkind, a pediatric occupational therapist in and pediatric coordinator for the American Occupational Therapy Association, " learning cursive helped students hone their fine motor skills." Click Here to View Article Cursive Handwriting Still Has a Role in Elementary Education Eastern Iowa Schools / April 2011 “Creating Better Readers and Writers,” a report emphasizing the importance of handwriting instruction released in fall 2010, stresses that good handwriting skills increase speed and fluency in reading and writing. Fast, legible handwriting improves note-taking and test-performance because students are able to write quickly and, later, decipher their notes." Click Here to View Article