Why Students Should Hand Write Their Notes
The Write Foundation requires students to hand write their notes on the provided worksheets. The following excerpts are taken from some excellent articles on why students should hand write their notes. For more information click the links below each section.
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The Cognitive Gains of Writing by Hand: How Penmanship Influences Brain Development
Very Big Brain November 8, 2024
“In a world where typing on a keyboard or tapping on a screen has become the norm, writing by hand might seem like a lost art. But the act of putting pen to paper does much more than create words—it actively shapes how your brain functions. Writing by hand engages multiple parts of the brain, improves memory, and even boosts creativity.”
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Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning
May 11, 20247:00 AM ET
“Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying down the foundations of literacy and learning. In adults, taking notes by hand during a lecture, instead of typing, can lead to better conceptual understanding of material.”
“Recent brain imaging studies bolster this idea. A study published in January found that when students write by hand, brain areas involved in motor and visual information processing "sync up" with areas crucial to memory formation, firing at frequencies associated with learning.”
“During a meeting or lecture, it's possible to type what you're hearing verbatim. But often, "you're not actually processing that information — you're just typing in the blind," says van der Meer. "If you take notes by hand, you can't write everything down," she says.
The relative slowness of the medium forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas, she says. "You make the information your own," she says, which helps it stick in the brain.”
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots
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February 21, 2024
Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning
Engaging the fine motor system to produce letters by hand has positive effects on learning and memory.
By Charlotte Hu edited by Lauren J. Young
“Handwriting notes in class might seem like an anachronism as smartphones and other digital technology subsume every aspect of learning across schools and universities. But a steady stream of research continues to suggest that taking notes the traditional way—with pen and paper or even stylus and tablet—is still the best way to learn, especially for young children. And now scientists are finally zeroing in on why.
A recent study in Frontiers in Psychology monitored brain activity in students taking notes and found that those writing by hand had higher levels of electrical activity across a wide range of interconnected brain regions responsible for movement, vision, sensory processing and memory. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that has many experts speaking up about the importance of teaching children to handwrite words and draw pictures.”
https://www.scientificamerican.com
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Handwriting Boosts Brain Connectivity and Learning
January 26, 2024
Summary: Handwriting, compared to typing, results in more complex brain connectivity patterns, enhancing learning and memory. This study used EEG data from 36 students to compare brain activity while writing by hand and typing.
Handwriting, whether in cursive on a touchscreen or traditional pen and paper, activated extensive brain regions, vital for memory and learning. These findings highlight the importance of balancing traditional handwriting instruction with digital literacy in educational settings.
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Psychology Today
Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Your Brain
By stimulating connections, it benefits memory, test scores, and more.
Posted February 6, 2024 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan
Key points
- · Handwriting stimulates complex brain connections essential in encoding new information and forming memories.
- · Research shows students who take notes by hand score better on tests than those who type notes.
A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that handwriting stimulates different and more complex brain connections that are essential in encoding new information and forming memories.
https://www.psychologytoday.com
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