Why is handwriting important?

  • Improved Reading Skills

    The fastest way to learn the letter-sound correspondences and to activate the letterbox, the region of the brain that supports reading skills, is integrated systematic handwriting instruction (Longcamp et al., 2008; James & Engelhardt, 2012; James, 2010; James, 2017)

  • Self Confidence

    Students who struggle with handwriting often feel shame and try to avoid writing tasks (Graham, 2010). The ability to write clearly and easily builds students' confidence.

  • Improved Learning Skills

    Numerous studies point to taking notes by hand as a more effective way to learn information than taking notes on a keyboard (Hu, 2024).

How Does Handwriting Instruction Support Learning To Read?

Writing Activates the Brain

Writing activates the same areas of the brain as speaking (Dehaene, 2013).

What Makes a Letter a Letter?

Writing helps students to discover which parts of the letter are essential properties of the letter (Gimenez et al., 2014, p. 1-2). For example, writing helps students discover that the taller line in an h differentiates it from an n. Likewise an n with a serif is the same as an n without a serif.

The Brain Loves Complex Patterns

Each time a young student writes a letter, they write it a little differently. These variations help the brain learn (James & Engelhardt, 2012).

Kinesthetic Experience of Words

Handwriting is a kinesthetic experience of letters and words (Mangen & Velay, 2010).

Effective Handwriting Instruction

  • Short, Daily Lessons

    Handwriting instruction should be daily, and lessons should be short (Graham, 2010; Hart et al., 2010). Consistent practice is what is most important.

  • Skywriting

    Introduce the strokes using large-motor movements or skywriting (Uhry & Clark, 2011).

  • Model How To Form Each Letter

    Effective handwriting instruction includes modeling how to write the letter (Hart et al., 2010).

  • Explicit, Systematic Instruction

    Students benefit from being taught how to write each letter with explicit instruction for how to form the letter (Graham, 2010; Hart et al., 2010; James et al., 2012).

  • Guided Practice

    Once students have been shown how to write a letter, they benefit from guided practice that furthers their understanding and prevents guessing (Hart et al., 2010).

  • Feedback

    As students form letters, feedback and coaching on their writing further improves their letter formation (Hart et al., 2010).

  • Large- and Fine-Motor Practice

    Writing can be practiced with both large- and fine-motor skills. Large-motor writing practice is less abstract than fine-motor.

  • Writing, Not Tracing

    Research shows that students benefit the most from writing the letters themselves, not tracing (James & Engelhardt, 2012).

  • Start With Lowercase

    Uppercase is used for proper nouns and at the beginning of sentences. Teach lowercase letters first, and introduce when to use uppercase letters as you teach them.

How To Teach Handwriting

Teach the Strokes

Begin by teaching individual strokes.

Teach Letters

Progress to teaching how strokes combine to form letters.

Teach How To Write Words

Continue instruction to show how letters combine to form words.

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References

Dehaene, S. (2013). Inside the Letterbox: How Literacy Transforms the Human Brain. Cerebrum, 2013:7. http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum

Gimenez, P., Bugescu, N., Black, J. M., Hancock, R., Pugh, K., Nagamine, M., Kutner, E., Mazaika, P., Hendren, R., McCandliss, B. D., & Hoeft, F. (2014). Neuroimaging correlates of handwriting quality as children learn to read and write. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 155. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00155

Graham, S. (2010). Want to Improve Children’s Writing? Don’t Neglect Their Handwriting. American Educator, 4(33), 20–40.

Hart, N. V., Fitzpatrick, P., & Cortesa, C. (2010). In-depth analysis of handwriting curriculum and instruction in four kindergarten classrooms. Reading and Writing, 23(6), 673–699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-009-9178-6

Hu, C. (2024, February 21). Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning. Retrieved December 17, 2024, from Scientific American website: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-writing-by-hand-is-better-for-memory-and-learning/

James, K. H. (2010). Sensori-motor experience leads to changes in visual processing in the developing brain. Developmental Science, 13(2), 279–288. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00883.x

James, K. H. (2017). The Importance of Handwriting Experience on the Development of the Literate Brain. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 26(6), 502–508. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417709821

James, K. H., & Engelhardt, L. (2012). The effects of handwriting experience on functional brain development in pre-literate children. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 1(1), 32–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2012.08.001

Longcamp, M., Boucard, C., Gilhodes, J.-C., Anton, J.-L., Roth, M., Nazarian, B., & Velay, J.-L. (2008). Learning through Hand- or Typewriting Influences Visual Recognition of New Graphic Shapes: Behavioral and Functional Imaging Evidence. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(5), 802–815. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20504

Mangen, A., & Velay, J.-L. (2010). Advances in Haptics. https://doi.org/10.5772/8710

Uhry, J. K., & Clark, D. B. (2005). Dyslexia: Theory and Practice of Instruction. York Press.