When was the last time you wrote out a letter by hand? With technology changing so rapidly, we’re all texting, typing, and using touch screens more than ever before. But we have to ask: Is all this technology helping our kids get smarter? New research suggests that it’s not going to be helpful long term.
From Yahoo! Shine:
Indiana University researchers tracked brain patterns in pre-school kids and discovered that those who wrote out letters had increased recognition and neural activity, according to the Los Angeles Times. Another study released earlier this year, looked at kids who hand-wrote their assignments as opposed to typing them. Those who did, wrote faster and more prolifically. One reason has to do with the gripping process of writing, which fine-tunes motor skills unlike punching out keys. The repetitive nature required to perfect handwriting also helps the brain memorize information. In other words, handwriting is good for the developing brain. {Full story}
What do you think, BMWK? Does your kids’ school place an emphasis on handwriting? Have you seen a difference in how often your kids write things out by hand versus how much you did at that age?