Does writing and drawing by hand make children smarter?
It has been shown that taking notes by hand in class
Frontiers | The Importance of Cursive Handwriting Over Typewriting for Learning in the Classroom: A High-Density EEG Study of 12-Year-Old Children and Young Adults | Psychology
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01810/full
Why writing by hand makes kids smarter | EurekAlert! Science News
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/nuos-wwb100120.php
A research team led by Audrey van der Meer, a professor of neuropsychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), argues that national guidelines should be established to ensure that children have a minimum level of opportunity to write by hand.
Mehl has conducted multiple studies to measure the effects of handwriting. In the first study in 2017, Mehl and his research team analyzed the brain activity of 20 students. In a 2020 study, they examined the brain activity of 12
In their study, Mehl and his colleagues used a hood-shaped device equipped with more than 250 electrodes to measure the subjects' brain activity. The brain emits electrical signals when it is active, and the 250 electrodes in the hood detect these signals, allowing them to sense the electrical activity occurring in the subject's brain.
The study lasted 45 minutes per subject, with the researchers capturing 500 data points per second. The results showed that for both young adults and children, writing by hand significantly increased brain activity compared to typing.
When writing by hand, various senses are stimulated, such as the sound of writing and the rustling of paper. These stimulate the sensory-motor areas of the brain, making the brain more optimal for learning. 'Our results show that both young adults and children learn and remember better when they write by hand,' said Mehl.
'The findings highlight the importance of children learning to draw and write by hand at an early age, especially at school,' said Mehl. 'Providing opportunities for handwriting in schools and other educational institutions is an important part of a child's development.'
However, in today's educational settings, opportunities to type on keyboards and tap on touchscreens are increasing, while opportunities to write by hand are steadily decreasing. According to a survey of 19 EU countries, Norway is the country where children spend the most time with digital devices. The survey found that Norwegian children aged 9 to 16 spend an average of about four hours a day online. However, a similar survey conducted in 2010 found that Norwegian children spent about half the time online, at around two hours per day.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in digital learning opportunities around the world, but Maile is not claiming that digital learning is bad. 'Given the increase in digital learning opportunities over the past few years, one or more generations are at risk of losing their handwriting skills,' Maile said. 'Our research and others highlight an unfortunate side of increased digital learning opportunities.'
'In some Norwegian schools, lessons are completely digitalized, completely eliminating opportunities for handwriting practice. In Finland, schools are even more digitalized than Norway, and few schools offer opportunities for handwriting practice,' said Mehl.
Some teachers also argue that using a keyboard to learn can help children to 'satisfy their frustrations' and that 'increased keyboard proficiency can also lead to increased motivation to learn.'
'Learning to write by hand may be a slow process, but it's important for children to learn through handwriting. Writing by hand forces children to trace complex hand movements that they can't get from just using a keyboard. Writing by hand helps children develop fine motor skills and sensory control. It's important to get the brain in a learning state as often as possible through these. I use a keyboard to write essays, but I also take notes by hand during lectures,' he said.
'The brain has evolved over thousands of years to enable humans to perform optimally. For the brain to develop in the best possible way, it needs to be used at its best. We need to use all our senses, get outside, experience all kinds of weather, and meet other people. If the brain isn't challenged, it won't reach its full potential. Writing by hand is important for maximizing the brain's potential, and this also affects school performance,' Mail said.
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