Hello. Today I am attending a workshop called Handwriting Without Tears. I am sitting by an Occupational Therapist from Sterling, CO. Here is a short piece of research that caught my eye:
Handwriting & Technology
Though today’s elementary students are increasingly
influenced by tablets and computers, they are still
required to write on paper for 25 to 60 percent of their
classroom learning time in grades K–5. This compares to
15 to 22 percent spent on various forms of technology
(computers, tablets, interactive whiteboards, etc.).1
Research also states that even in the higher grades,
students who took notes by hand versus on a computer
were shown to have better comprehension of what
was being said and had more sustained attention
during discussion of texts and concepts (Peverly 2012).
However, we should not focus on handwriting versus
technology in the classroom. We should be looking
at how they work together in the classroom to create an
engaged, balanced, and successful learning environment.
As a rule, research states that learning how to write
by hand is a necessary motor exercise as it helps
develop eye-hand coordination motor skills (Saperstein
Associates 2012; James and Gauthier 2006; James
2012; Berninger 2012). Handwriting is a foundation skill
that needs to be developed first and will influence students’
reading, writing, language use, and critical thinking.
