Cursive Writing – The great debate

♦ September 2, 2013

CBC Radio One had an interesting interview on Monday, Sept.2  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/why-teaching-your-kids-to-write-not-just-type-is-important/article615227/ about cursive writing interviewing two people including an occupational therapist who has found that students struggling with printing benefit from practicing and using cursive writing. She finds these students often act up during writing times at school because it takes so much effort to write. By learning to write in cursive, they can write much more quickly and legibly.

There is also an article published by the Globe and Mail exploring how connections in the brain are made when kids learn how to write in cursive. In the article, assistant professor, Karin Harman James, in the department of psychology and brain sciences at Indiana University states, “Emerging research shows handwriting increases brain activity, hones fine motor skills, and can predict a child’s academic success in ways that keyboarding can’t.”
Article: Globe and Mail – Why Teaching Your Kids to Write (not just type) is Important
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/why-teaching-your-kids-to-write-not-just-type-is-important/article615227/

Interestingly enough, I heard Dr.James on the radio in July discussing how recent studies have showed that cursive writing increases certain types of brain synapses which does not occur otherwise.

So when you wonder why your child must write his/her good copies or ‘Les buts de la semaine” quizzes in cursive writing, you now know why – to develop better fine motor skills and help increase brain activity and neural synapses. Not to mention, your child will know how to sign her name in cursive on important documents later in life, and read and write in cursive writing. I always tell my students, “How embarrassing would it be if your boss gave you a note in cursive and you couldn’t read it?” I know for sure that this will not be the case with my students.

Whether or not your child chooses to use cursive writing later in life, he/she will always have developed the skills to do so.

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