According to author Louise Spear-Swerling in her recent article The Importance of Teaching Handwriting, “After a long period of neglect in education, attention to teaching handwriting in the primary grades may finally be returning. This attention can benefit many youngsters, including those with learning disabilities (LDs) involving handwriting, which may accompany reading disabilities, writing disabilities, nonverbal learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”
In fact, researchers are finding that writing by hand is far more than just a way to communicate. Handwriting helps with:
- Learning letters
- Learning shapes
- Improving idea composition
- Improving expression
- Aiding fine motor-skill development
Plus, handwriting can even help kids learn to read!
Dr. J. Richard Gentry, author of Raising Confident Readers, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write–From Baby to Age 7 explains, “Handwriting is crucial because recent brain scan studies have shown that early handwriting skill helps kids learn to read. Keyboarding doesn’t have this effect. With a language such as English with its difficult spelling system, early handwriting practice and writing down messages and thoughts helps kids break the code.”
Helping kids with handwriting is crucial. Experts recommend at least 15 minutes of handwriting instruction each day for students. So grab a pencil and get started!
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