Research by Wiley, Robert & Rapp, Brenda (2021). The effects of handwriting experience on literacy learning. Psychological Science, 32(7), 1086–1103. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797621993111

Written by Robin N. Fatovic M.S.  

With the rise in technology, should kids even focus on handwriting anymore?

Psychology and neuroscience researchers studied this by teaching 42 participants 20 letters of the Arabic alphabet in three different ways. In the typing condition, participants had to find the presented letter or word on the keyboard as quickly as possible. In the writing condition, they copied the presented letter or word onto paper. In the visual condition, they just indicated when the Arabic letter or word appeared among many symbols. The participants engaged in many tasks to recognize, name, write, spell, and read Arabic words over 6 sessions. 

Results? Participants in the writing condition performed best on all tasks related to learning Arabic. They also learned faster than those in the typing and visual conditions. The results show that handwriting also impacted their learning on tasks that they did not receive training on, like spelling and reading. 

Though using electronic devices might be beneficial in school, handwriting is a skill that’s still needed for improved overall learning. Teachers and parents, to aid learning, teach students handwriting! This skill can help their cognitive development in many ways!