A recent study published in the Frontiers of Psychology suggests that cursive handwriting might be more effective in promoting learning than typing.
The research, involving 36 students, examined brain activity as participants wrote words by hand and typed them on a keyboard.
According to Gizmodo, the findings indicated that handwriting led to more complex electrical connectivity patterns in brain areas associated with memory formation and information encoding compared to typing.
The study emphasizes that increased brain connectivity was exclusive to handwriting, offering evidence supporting the idea that it promotes learning.
Researchers advocate for early exposure to handwriting activities in schools to establish optimal neuronal connectivity patterns for learning.
The implications highlight potential cognitive development benefits for children, underscoring the importance of incorporating handwriting into educational practices and contributing to the ongoing debate on penmanship versus modern technology in schools.
California Mandates Cursive Writing Training
In California, there is a resurgence of cursive handwriting instruction for grade school students. Assembly Bill 446, sponsored by former elementary school teacher Sharon Quirk-Silva and enacted in October, mandates handwriting education for approximately 2.6 million Californian students in grades one to six, with cursive lessons typically starting from the third grade onward, according to a Reuters report.
Experts argue that learning cursive enhances cognitive development, reading comprehension, and fine motor skills. Beyond these benefits, educators find value in exposing children to historical documents and family letters.
The decline of cursive aligned with the rise of computer keyboards and tablets, exacerbated by the exclusion of cursive from the 2010 Common Core education standards.
Leslie Zoroya, project director for reading language arts at the Los Angeles County Office of Education, cites research indicating that cursive promotes various interconnected skills crucial for childhood development.
To address previous inconsistencies in cursive instruction, Quirk-Silva, who had a meeting with former governor Jerry Brown in 2016, advocates for comprehensive cursive proficiency by sixth grade.
"The hope of the legislation is that by the time students leave sixth grade, they would be able to read and write it," Quirk-Silva remarked, as quoted in the report.
Ink and Paper Remain Significant in The Digital Age
While the correlation between cursive handwriting and reading achievement lacks causal proof, educators express concerns that discontinuing cursive instruction in the United States could lead to a decline in educational outcomes. A small-scale study by Italian researchers suggested that teaching cursive to first-year primary school students might enhance their reading skills.
Canada faced a similar situation, initially phasing out cursive only to reintroduce it in 2023. Last year, the Ontario Ministry of Education reinstated the requirement for cursive handwriting instruction, prompting interest in effective methods and frequency of cursive instruction, per the BBC.
Analyzing the OECD PISA 2022 global rankings for reading achievement among 15-year-olds, the United States ranked ninth, trailing STEM powerhouses like Singapore (first place) and Japan (third place).
In Western Europe, cursive writing remains a staple. Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France uphold this tradition, while the United Kingdom retains joined-up handwriting in its curriculum, emphasizing unjoined handwriting learning before introducing diagonal and horizontal strokes, according to the UK government's Ofsted research review.
