It is well documented that handwriting increases cognitive development in children. Children gain memory, motor and hand-eye coordination skills through cursive and script writing, essential skills for everyday life.

However, in the current era of digital technologies, many would argue that handwriting is becoming less of a necessity. Tablets, phones and computers have introduced texting and typing as a substitute to pen and paper. Moreover, these devices are slowly being integrated as tools for learning within many academic institutions.

Many argue that handwriting is still an essential skill for children as it contributes to the development of a wide range of skills and attributes which can be used in later life. Confidence, cognitive and communication skills are among those developed through writing. Handwriting is also considered a ‘must have’ skill for a wide range of professions.

Virginia Berninger, psychology professor at University of Washington, studies the effect of handwriting on the human brain. She believes that handwriting helps children to focus more on what they are doing, subsequently helping them to perform better academically.

In contrast, Laura Dinehart, associate professor at Florida International University, advocates that children who struggle with handwriting often get worse grades as they spend too much time concentrating on trying to perfect their writing. This distracts their focus from answering the question. Teachers are also more inclined to mark down students with poor handwriting if they have trouble reading their answers.

Technology is used increasingly within classrooms to support students learning. There are many alternative technological applications which help pupils learn, virtual classrooms, virtual reality, and problem solving games. However, a lot of schools are now making children type up their work rather than writing it down. This is known to restrict a student’s learning abilities as it can hinder their capacity to read handwritten documents.  

One study found that a paper-based work programme used in schools achieved a 50% increase in academic progress, in comparison to the computer-based counterpart. The study which involved 51 primary schools, concluded that the main reason for the paper-based success was due to the freedom and ease teachers had to help and assist the students. The nature of the computer-based programme meant it was highly structured, meaning teachers couldn’t adapt lessons in order to support students with differing levels of ability on an individual basis.

As discussed, digital technology is becoming widely used within classrooms and in many instances, is proving to be a success. However, evidence suggests that the art of handwriting should continue to be taught alongside computer based work as it gives children capabilities and skills which are essential for everyday life outside of the classroom.