Don’t write off good handwriting yet, y’all! Apparently, penmanship still matters – especially to your brain.
In “What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades,” the New York Times reports that neurologists and psychologists alike are finding new evidence suggesting that the connections between handwriting and broader educational development run deep:
“Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information.”
And – get this – cursive [remember cursive, anyone?] writing and printing look like they might activate separate brain networks and engage more cognitive resources together than printing alone does. But regardless of the letter-loopiness …
“… the benefits of writing by hand extend beyond childhood. For adults, typing may be a fast and efficient alternative to longhand, but that very efficiency may diminish our ability to process new information. Not only do we learn letters better when we commit them to memory through writing, but memory and learning ability in general may benefit.”
Now go write someone a lovely, longhand note!
