While some people may argue that good penmanship is no longer a necessary skill in the computer age, this position couldn't be further away from the truth.
What a disservice we do to our children when we fail to ensure they learn proper penmanship skills!
While good penmanship skills produce beautiful handwriting, it's benefits far outweigh its aesthetic value.
Here's 6 reasons why you absolutely must make sure your children learn to write legibly and beautifully:
1. Develops Fine Motor Skills
The more children use their fine motor skills, the better this area of the brain develops, otherwise known as the cerebellum. Penmanship is one way in which children can put their fine motor skills to use.
Well-developed fine motor skills are critical to a child's ability to become good at many things including, but not limited to, drawing, painting, sculpting, woodwork, playing a musical instrument, and beading.
2. Improves the Memory
We need fine motor skills for note-taking. Taking notes by hand helps us remember what we heard better, which, in turn, helps to develop our memories. The more we remember, the stronger our memories become.
“My spelling is Wobbly. It’s good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.”
3. Fires up the Brain
According to Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, a neuroscientist, writing by hand is one of three activities that stimulates the brain more than any others.
The other two are doing simple math calculations and reading out loud. When children are young, they should write everything by hand so they optimize the use and development of their brains.
4. Teaches Excellence
Learning to do anything well is critical to a child's understanding of excellence. Becoming good at a skill requires perseverance and diligence, two critical qualities that will help us excel at any skill we tackle.
It's critical that we hold high standards for our children, so they learn to hold high standards for themselves. Having our children develop good penmanship skills is one of the ways we can help them become good at something and learn to hold a high standard for themselves.
5. More "Screen-free" Time
When children write by hand, they are not staring at a screen with all of the side effects that come from screen use, such as health problems, mental health issues, social awkwardness, and delayed brain development.
6. Improves Writing Skills
When we write by hand, we are forced to slow down which gives us time to be more thoughtful, choose more precise words, and better structure our sentences.
According to a study in the British Journal of Psychology, students who write essays by hand were found to compose essays of better quality all around. Which also means that they'll do better in school.
“...the beauty and nobility, the august mission and destiny, of human handwriting.”
Final Thoughts
Failing to teach our children good penmanship skills is negligent of us, as children need to learn penmanship for all of the above mentioned reasons.
Start them young, so they develop the proper hand muscles and are in the habit of writing by hand before it occurs to them that they could be writing on a computer.
When my children were young, they wrote everything by hand. When they reached their teens, they asked to use my computer, so I bought them their very own electric typewriter!
They were thrilled. It makes me laugh now to think about it.
But, yes, they still sell electric typewriters, and I recommend you do the same.
Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.
When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Liz will share her 6-step framework to raise children of higher intelligence, critical thinking, and of better character.
As a homeschooler, you will never have to worry about failing your children, because working with Liz, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated. She also provides you with the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.
Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.
For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.
Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.
As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.
Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, based on tradition and modern research, and she devotes her time to helping parents to get it right.
Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.
"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”
—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
