Why Your Kid Should Learn Cursive Writing
It may seem that cursive writing has no place in the digital age. Increasing digitisation in the classroom has resulted in many curriculum developers eliminating it from instruction altogether. With only so much time in the school day, and with technology emerging at a rapid pace, there is a belief that there is neither time nor need to learn ‘longhand script.’
Yes, computers and tablets are cool tools that have an important role in education, and it is essential that your child knows how to use them. Yes, children still learn print handwriting (though handwriting training is being phased out in some countries). But the idea that cursive is no longer useful and will not aid kids in later life is unfortunate. The benefits of cursive are resurfacing, and new research further demonstrates it offers crucial learning benefits for younger kids and teens. It’s not surprising then, that there is a steady resurgence in ‘old fashioned’ cursive.
Benefits of Cursive Writing
Primes the brain for learning
Researchers in Norway used high-density EEG monitoring to show how the brain’s electrical activity differed when a group of 12yo children and young adults were;
typing
handwriting in cursive
drawing with a digital pen on a touchscreen or
drawing using a pen and paper.
The action of cursive writing did something interesting - it synchronized brain waves in the theta rhythm range and stimulated additional electrical activity in the parietal lobe and central regions. These regions are important for encoding new information and for memory. Quite simply, it primed the brain and optimized conditions for learning!
It also stimulates the Reticular Activating System which is responsible for attention, motivation and remaining alert. It does this best when the sensory-motor parts of the brain and kinetic movement are both engaged - precisely controlled hand movements, the senses and visual skills. By creating activity in different parts of the brain it layers together a complex network of neural connections. These networks link to other forms of learning, and the organisation of other kinds of information and skills.
2. Improves memory retention and comprehension
Information gathered during the action of cursive handwriting tends to ‘stick.’ A study involving college students demonstrated that they remembered information better when they transcribed in cursive rather than printed or typed. Cursive is an important tool in cognitive development because it trains the brain to learn functional specialization - that is the capacity for optimal efficiency. Brain imaging shows multiple areas of the brain co-active when learning cursive writing.
Cursive also provides greater opportunity for improved comprehension. Students who type notes tend to type everything they hear without filtering the information and deciding what is relevant. Cursive writing allows a student to filter information and focus on priorities. The speed of cursive is a distinct advantage over print which can be too slow to be very effective and may result in missed information. When the flow of cursive becomes automatic the student can focus on content, either what they hearing or what they are producing.
For younger children, cursive enables them to give their attention to what they are writing, enabling them to focus on learning or improving different skills such as spelling, grammar or punctuation.
3. Helps with the flow of ideas
Print writing requires your child to form block letters in an interrupted manner. Cursive is ‘joining’ writing and words are formed in a continuous linking fashion. It was developed for speed and efficiency.
The continuous flow has the benefit of allowing a child to translate thoughts into words more easily. Ideas can be forgotten if writing is disjointed or slow. The speed and efficiency of cursive writing allow the focus to be on content, giving them a chance to write down those ideas.
4. Improves spelling
Research has found that those who learn cursive are more likely to be better spellers. The continuous flow of linking letters as opposed to the stop-and-start nature of printing promotes an understanding of words, rather than individual letters. This leads to better language processing which is vital for spelling.
5. Improves reading
Over a decade ago researchers used MRI neuroimaging to investigate the effects of handwriting on functional brain development. They found that it activated a ‘reading circuit’ in the brain and concluded that it may “facilitate reading acquisition in young children.”
When developing reading skills, children progress from sounding individual letters to reading whole words. Cursive writing promotes that better understanding of whole words, which supports children to progress in their reading development.
6. Improves pattern recognition
When printing children can invert and reverse letters when writing. Letters can get muddled up - consider p and q or b and d. This can be a particular challenge for children who experience dyslexia or dysgraphia. With cursive, there is a continuity of writing that reduces the likelihood of this happening. This is because lowercase cursive uses the same starting point for all letters. This enables a child to build muscle memory for the shape and length of words.
Need extra resources?
If you would like to help your child learn cursive writing take a look at our workbooks. They have been designed to support your younger child or teen to learn the basics of letter formation and letter connection. With plenty of practice exercises to hone their skills they’ll soon master this beautiful writing style.
The Final Word!
It may seem that the digital era has rendered cursive unnecessary, but even though the world is evolving there is great benefit in learning cursive writing. It’s a more than useful tool if it primes our kids for learning!