Another scientific study on the benefits of handwriting was published this summer in Frontiers in Psychology Magazine. The study by Norwegian University of Science and Technology — The Importance of Cursive Handwriting Over Typewriting for Learning in the Classroom: A High-Density EEG Study of 12-Year-Old Children and Young Adults — looked at brain scans of young adults and 12-year-olds as they were writing in cursive by hand, typewriting, or drawing.
Scientists found that cursive writing and drawing activated brain areas important for memory and the encoding of new information and, therefore, helped “provide the brain with optimal conditions for learning.” This was not seen in the subjects who were typewriting.
The conclusion reached was: “We suggest that children, from an early age, must be exposed to handwriting and drawing activities in school to establish the neuronal oscillation patterns that are beneficial for learning. We conclude that because of the benefits of sensory-motor integration due to the larger involvement of the senses as well as fine and precisely controlled hand movements when writing by hand and when drawing, it is vital to maintain both activities in a learning environment to facilitate and optimize learning.”
Read the full study at Frontiers in Psychology Magazine.
Photo Credit: Emerson Waldorf School
