Cursive writing, which had gradually disappeared from many schools in the US, Finland, and Switzerland due to the prioritization of tablets and keyboards, is making a comeback. In mid-January, New Jersey, US, mandated cursive instruction for students in grades 3 through 5. Over the past decade, about 20 US states have adopted similar policies.
"Teaching cursive offers cognitive benefits to students and better prepares them with essential life skills," said Phil Murphy, former governor of New Jersey.
Research indicates that handwriting requires greater effort and stimulates more brain regions associated with learning than typing.
Karin Harman James, a neuroscientist at Indiana University Bloomington, noted that it is not uncommon for young people in the US to be unable to write cursive. Her research, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), showed that children learning to handwrite activated brain regions similar to adults when reading. This was not observed in children who only typed.
"Handwriting helps children better recognize letters and numbers," James stated. "Fine motor skills are crucial for children's development in various tasks."
Her colleague, Audrey van der Meer at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, also observed that when children handwrite, brain electrical signals concentrate near learning and memory centers.
"In Norway, some schools have shifted entirely to digital learning, providing tablets to students from grade 1. Consequently, many children do not know how to hold a pencil correctly," she said.
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Illustration: *The Harvee School*. |
While supporting handwriting, experts still debate whether to prioritize print (disconnected letters) or cursive writing.
Virginia Berninger, an educational researcher and clinical psychologist at the University of Washington, suggests teaching print first in grades 1 and 2, as most reading materials for children are presented this way. However, her other studies indicate that from grade 4 onwards, students who write cursive have advantages in spelling and writing speed.
A Canadian research team reached a different conclusion when evaluating second-grade students: children who learned only one writing style during their first two years had better spelling abilities than those who switched between styles. The group that learned only cursive excelled in syntax and word formation.
"The next generation should be able to handwrite a love letter, a poem, or at least a grocery list—because that is part of the human experience," Meer said.
Huyen Trang (according to Nature, PMC, The Buzz)
