Top 3 Takeaways on the Importance of Handwriting

An over reliance on technology can be harmful to kids’ retention, comprehension, and creativity. It can also lead to tech addiction. Having a balance between technology and more traditional offline activities is key.
Handwriting is not only a practical tool, but allows kids to think more critically and creatively about the world around them. It’s important to still put pen to paper!
There are plenty of practical, simple, and fun activities to get your kids writing at home (see the list below) which don’t require you to have a teaching background. Parents can be that catalyst!

When you think back to your elementary school days and all that you learned, one activity that is sure to stick out is writing. Depending on your age, you may have spent hours each day writing letters, words, and sentences in lined notebooks.

You can probably still conjure up images of your teachers’ handwriting on the chalkboard and struggling to make your writing look just like theirs. You may have succeeded in perfecting handwriting, or had a passable ability to handwrite, but either way, most of us came out of elementary school with a legible handwriting skill.

Now look at your child’s handwriting.

You can probably see where I’m going with this, as it’s very likely that your child’s handwriting is not to the same level as yours at their age. The reason for this is the devaluation of handwriting in elementary schools, and the focus on technology specifically computers.

Yes, it is important that our children learn how to use technology and adapt to new ones in the future. But just because the world has gone digital does not mean that handwriting is antiquated. Regardless of your child’s future path, there are a myriad of benefits to learning and improving handwriting that we can explore today.

Five Ways Technology Negatively Impacts Learning

Before we delve into the benefits of handwriting, we should look at the drawbacks of an overreliance on technology. First I want to reiterate that I’m not advocating for the disposal of all technology. In fact, there are great technology-based programs out there to help children with spelling, reading, and writing. But there are certainly drawbacks to children only ever learning to spell, read, and write with technology.

1. What happens when you don’t have the technology?

One obvious drawback to relying too much on technology is, what happens when you don’t have the technology? If you’ve only ever been taught to type notes on a computer, or dictate notes using speech-to-text software, and you are in a situation where you need to write something down, what are you going to do? That’s a very practical reason for not relying too much on technology.

2. Poor Retention

Second, like many parents, you might have a concern like, “My child struggles with retention.” One of the ways we often think of retaining information in education is through note-taking strategies. Handwriting notes has been shown to improve retention.

When in a lecture or when taking notes during a lesson, using a computer improves word processing speed, and you will be able to get more words onto the page. But, because your brain is so focused on getting the words onto the computer screen, that critical thinking part of your brain is shut off. When we write notes by hand, we will be slower, therefore, we are thinking about what we are writing and listening to, and this in turn improves our retention!

As an experiment to test this theory yourself, find two ten minute videos on Youtube. Make sure both of the videos are informational, and about topics that you are unfamiliar with. With the first video, take notes using a computer. With the second video, take notes by hand. Then, without looking back at the notes you took, try summarizing the videos, and see which summary shows a greater retention and comprehension of information.

Reading is the antidote to addiction to technology

3. Potential for distraction

A third issue with children spending too much time in front of a computer (and this applies to adults too) is the potential for distraction. When we sit down in front of this magic machine that can teach us about anything in the world, or that gives us quick endorphin rushes when we check our “likes” and “retweets”, it’s tough to focus on work. Imagine how tough this is for a young mind who hasn’t learned patience yet!

4. Addiction to technology

The real detriment here, aside from productivity issues, is two-fold. The first problem with digital distractions come in the form of social media addictions. People–not just kids–are becoming addicted to their technology in the same ways we used to see in substance abuse. People have even been known to show symptoms similar to withdrawal. In addition, social media use and abuse can be extremely detrimental to the self-esteem of our kids.

5. Not allowing kids to be bored

The other problem with digital distractions is that we disallow kids to be bored. Yes, being bored is a very good thing for kids! When we are bored, we allow our minds to wander, and this is when we are able to do our best critical AND creative thinking. The natural reflex when bored is to reach for a device because we know that it will provide us with a stimuli, but if we can prevent ourselves from leaning on digital stimuli, our brains will find other things to focus on, and this is when we can think creatively and critically both for our own enjoyment, and in solving problems.

The Benefits of Writing by Hand

When children are only equipped with paper and pencil, there will be times when they must stop and think before they continue to write. If they don’t simply reach for a phone, this time of reflection will eventually lead to deep thought, and THIS is the place where we learn and think the best!

Here’s another challenge for you (yes you, the parent!). When you have time to do something creative, whether that’s writing or painting or whatever, set a timer for sixty minutes. Until this timer is up, you are not allowed to touch a device (aside from answering a phone call). When your sixty minutes is up, grab a pen and paper and write down how the experience made you feel. What did you think about? What did you end up creating? Where did your mind wander to?

7 Activities to Encourage Your Child’s Writing

Now that we’ve discussed the importance of spending time handwriting and not solely using technology, you’re probably wondering, “Well great, but how am I supposed to get my kids to write more? They’re not going to want to learn when they’re not in school!” And you’re right, especially if you teach them in the traditional method of repetitively writing out the same lines over and over again. But there are plenty of practical, easy-to-start activities to get your kids writing more. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Make lists:

There are plenty of instances where creating lists can be both practical & helpful. Have your kids help write out the grocery list or the meal planning list for the week, and make them in charge of crossing off each grocery item at the store or each meal you eat at home. Not only will this get your kids writing, it will also teach them about healthy meal planning! Additionally, you could have your kids make an “inventory” of all their toys, plan out supplies for a trip or sleepover … the options are really endless!

2. Argument writing:

Your kid really, REALLY wants to go see the new Spider-Man movie this weekend. Awesome! Ask them to write you a detailed argument as to why the family should go to the movies this weekend. Make sure they include what time the movie is, what time you will need to leave, etc.

Depending on the age of your child, this could be anywhere from a few sentences to a few paragraphs. You’ll not only have your child practising their handwriting, but you’ll also get them to think critically about WHY it is they want to see this movie so badly.

3. Emotional reflection:

Emotional regulation is a hot buzz word in parenting and education. Essentially, this is the ability to regulate your emotions, which is something children do need to learn, and is not as obvious as we think (because we learned this a long, long time ago). If your child is upset, especially if they’re too upset to speak coherently, give them a pen and paper and ask them to go write out how they’re feeling and why they’re feeling this way.

Depending on your child, this might be a very difficult task for them, but not only do they get some writing practice, they will get some metacognition (fancy word for thinking about thinking) thinking too! And you’ll likely develop a more thoughtful, well-balanced human.

4. Create a family time capsule:

A time capsule not only serves as a great writing activity, but also a great family activity. Plus it’s easy to get started! Simply find an empty shoebox and have family members write down the things which are most important to them.

This might be your kids’ favourite sports, activities, friends, movies, etc. You can even have them write entries on behalf of their pets, including their pet’s favourite treats. (IF you want to be super cute, have your kids draw your pet’s paw prints!)

Be sure to include special mementos that are a reminder of your favorite things! Put an “Open” date on the box, then put it away in a place where the family won’t be tempted to open it!

5. Handmade cards:

When birthdays of a family member or friends are coming up, spend some time with your kid(s) to make handmade cards! Have your kids write messages on the inside of the cards to convey how that person makes them feel. This gets kids writing, and also really gets them to appreciate their loved ones because taking the time to write a card will force them to think about that other person.

If you have time, you can also have your kids do a rough copy and a good copy. This will reinforce their handwriting as well as teach them organization and planning skills.

6. The “Better Word” game:

Regardless of how great your kid is, one day they’re going to come home and say something inappropriate. Often times this comes in the form of a four-letter word, which the child usually doesn’t understand the meaning of, or doesn’t understand why it’s inappropriate. Instead of the old method of washing your kid’s mouth with soap, first explain to them why the word they used was inappropriate. Then, have them use a thesaurus (ideally a physical one, but online works too) to find 2-3 words that would have been better to use.

For each word they find, the child must rewrite the sentence which got them in trouble, using the more appropriate word. Here, we get to work on self-regulation, handwriting, AND vocabulary! (and your kid doesn’t have to know the taste of a soap bar).

7. Letter-writing:

Today, kids are able to access their favourite celebs or athletes online in seconds. This is super cool for kids, but instead of your child typing a comment on the Rock’s latest video, have them write a letter to their favourite wrestler-turned-actor. Have them include the proper format of a letter (salutation, address, etc), and why this person means so much to your child.

Again, we’re giving kids the space and time to think deeply without the distractions of technology, plus they’re getting some great handwriting practice. If you want to build some financial literacy here, you can also have them go to the post office to purchase the stamp for the envelope.

We all want our kids to be 21st century learners, and ensure they have the necessary skills and comfort levels with technology to enable them to be successful as adults.

This however needs a balance between the use of technology and old-school activities like handwriting. And sometimes, it could also take some times of boredom that helps to push their creativity and to be the most successful humans they can be!

The Importance of Handwriting in the Digital Age