Your children may scoff upon hearing about the power of the pen, but it is true. Handwriting is a skill, but also a necessary skill when it comes to education and learning. Kids may turn their noses at a pen and paper, instead turning to the nearest laptop, tablet, or their phone, to jot down important notes. But all this technology can come with some learning curves.
Retaining Info
Physically writing something down can first and foremost, make it easier to remember! If you hear something verbally spoken to you, chances are you’re going to forget about it relatively quickly. But if you write down the info upon hearing it, even if you don’t have the piece of paper with the information on it, chances are you will still be able to remember what you wrote hours later.
A Critical Tool
So not only can handwriting help your children out, it also helps with a bunch of cognitive learning. The act of physically writing is directly tied to a deeper processing of information. It can also deepen a child’s understanding of the information, leading to a clearer picture of what they are being taught. Handwriting can help solidify critical thinking skills as well, leading your children to process information more thoroughly and to already start thinking about the next outcome or answer. This can also lead to better retention of information and being able to organize their thoughts easier.
Keeping Handwriting Active
Selling your children on the importance of handwriting may be a little tricky. Whether you homeschool or they attend a traditional school can affect how much handwriting they are already doing. Some schools still incorporate traditional writing, while many schools are turning to tech, such as tablets or laptops, for much of their schoolwork. Your children may not have much practice in handwriting, which is fine, but if you want them to start using it more often, making it fun can be a great way to start!
Make It Fun
Make handwriting different and less like homework by making it more creative. Have them pick out a unique notebook at the store that can serve as a journal, which they can also decorate if they want. Have them utilize handwriting by giving them a prompt to write about, such as how their day was at school, what they want to do when they get older, how it would feel walking on the moon, what if they had a pet tiger, etc. The possibilities are endless! You can have it be a weekly prompt to start with, but as your kids begin writing, they may realize how much they enjoy it and ask for daily prompts!
Katie Kyzivat