Handwriting as a Learning Tool
A recent study completed by Dr. Karin James, assistant professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University revealed the followed advantages of developing good handwriting.
- Developing handwriting skills can help students to expand their brain activation. in addition, printing practice improved letter recognition which enhances reading ability.
- Good handwriting can mean better grades since the writing is easier to read and grade by instructors.
- Handwriting is faster than keyboarding in many situations. Also, in the process of forming letters a higher level of cognition occurs.
- Handwriting aids in memory. Writing and rewriting notes assists students in retaining course content at a higher level than just typing notes into a computer.
- Handwriting proficiency inspires confidence. The more handwriting is practiced the stronger the motor pathways become until the skill becomes automatic.
- Handwriting engages different brain circuits than keyboarding. The repetitive process of handwriting integrates cognitive processes into the brain to the point that students are more confident in their ability to communicate in written form clearly.
As a part of your instructional planning integrate written assignments so your students will use the handwriting skills they have developed in their childhood development. Typing reports, assignments and projects are an integral part of the instructional process and that is as it should be, but using and refining handwriting skills adds another dimension and skill set the students will have once they are out in the work world.
I know that this is true; as I see this in my own studies. I must remember to reiterate this to my students, when they complain that there are too many notes... i did do that at one time, and only one student enthusiastically agreed; and furthering her point by saying it's the way she studies [rewriting so that the information sticks].
Are there any books that you particularly find interesting; regarding the different learning styles and different approaches to lesson planning?
I am particularly interested in understanding the psychology of why students act out, and what types of remediations work [other than carrots and sticks].
How do you inspire a student who hardly takes themselves seriously [they really do not know their own self worth? believe that what they do matters?] etc...
It was really helpful the comment about Dr Kari James and the Handwriting as a tool we should integrate as part of our instructional planning. I strongly agree that Handwriting helps students to memorize material which absolutely helps the student to really understand the topic as well as to get better grades; I have been one of those type of students who really have gotten the benefit from the writing and rewriting of what I want to memorize.
But I have a concern, which will be the way I could help a student to develop this skill if the handwriting is not good or very poor. If you barely can understand his or her handwriting, How could I stop myself as a Teacher or Instructor to not request this student to turn in typed homework instead of the poor handwriting, which will make me give him/her worse grades.
I would like to hear ideas of how I can help him to develop the handwriting skill without constantly give him bad grades until he develops the good handwriting if ever he did.
The only idea it comes out to me is asking him to hand in his homework in both ways: the typing HW into a computer(for me to give him better grades) and the Handwriting HW( for him to develop the skill as well as helping him to retaining course content at a higher level). Would it be ethic as well as attached to Florida Laws?
