Handwriting without tears (research article 3)

I found this interesting research review article that was conducted by Handwriting Without Tears, in 2013 among K-5 students and teachers. I was surprised at how much of an impact handwriting has for young children and their brain development. According to the research "handwriting is a foundational skill that can influence student's reading, writing, language use, and critical thinking". As seen from the research this skill plays an important role in literacy, brain development, and determines the success for students in other subjects.
             One topic that was brought to my attention was handwriting and technology. While society is constantly changing, technology has moved its way into classrooms with iPads and computers. I have always wondered if there would be a time when students learn to write through technology over paper and pencil. Interestingly enough, this article points out how integrating both apps on tablets and handwriting are beneficial to young students. While students are required to learn handwriting skills on paper for K-5, students who are in middle school are allowed to take notes on a computer. However "research shows that students who took notes by hand versus on a computer were shown to have better comprehension of what was being said and had more sustained attention during discussion of texts and concepts". As a student myself, I will vouch for this through personal experience. I know that when I took notes by hand instead of the computer I would retain more information.
     Another shocking fact I read from this study was how "the earlier children master handwriting in elementary school, the more likely they are to succeed in school". Not only does handwriting benefit literacy skills, but it can effect how students do in all subjects. All teachers should be aware of this fact, especially the K-2 teachers who are scaffolding young student's hand-eye coordination and motor skills for the earlier years. It is so important as teachers to constantly practice handwriting with students because, according to research "students without consistent exposure to handwriting are more likely to have problems retrieving letters from memory, spelling accurately, extracting meaning from text or lecture, and interpreting the context of word and phrases". This is why practicing and staying consistent with alphabet writing in kindergarten and continuing through first grade can be so crucial for the students learning process. These foundational skills play a larger and more complex role for students in the long run.





Resource

http://www.hwtears.com/files/HWT%20Research%20Review.pdf