Handwriting: Why Cursive Write?

Why Cursive Write?

Most of us who attended school from the 1950’s to the 1970’s experienced Penmanship classes using either the Palmer method or the Zaner Bloser method (remember the cards traditionally perched on top of the blackboard?). Most writings from Boomers that I see have elements of these styles of writing, with original and positive combinations of strokes that makes everyone a unique individual.

I have been perplexed for a number of years that the majority of scripts from teens and youngsters from prestigious schools are all printed and have about four or five stroke combinations in common that 1) results in most youngsters writings looking eerily identical and 2) indicates why many of the youngsters today are miles apart from their parents in terms of their overall outlook and philosophy (more about this in upcoming blogs).

This is not to infer that Boomer writing is ‘good’ and the writing style so common to youngsters is ‘bad’, but to get everyone thinking—period. Yes, we’ve all heard the ‘Well, why bother with cursive writing anyway, since the kids are all prefer computers’ argument; however, children are still excited and intrigued about handwriting and are proud about developing their own signature.

Developing the skill of cursive writing is, from the young people I’ve observed, a big challenge. To cursive write requires a good deal of practice, a need to persevere and the ability to focus and to concentrate. Did you know that handwriting actually stabilizes the emotional brain because of the repetitive, rhythmic manipulation of thumb and forefinger over time? Did you know that cursive writing involves the development of the prefrontal cortex part of a child’s brain?

The same focus I have just mentioned is a recent word that frequently appears in evaluations of young children. Studies show that children who are able to ‘focus’ perform better in many areas (including cursive writing!). Therefore, I say with confidence that practicing handwriting until it becomes automatic necessitates a child’s ability to focus and is an excellent method to develop focus.

As cursive writing skill develops, so too does the hand-brain-eye coordination which directly relate to many other tasks. Researchers believe the brain paths created by developing the eye-hand co-ordination at an early age will lead to higher brain function later.

The physical process of handwriting results in information being more powerfully entered into the brain by producing stronger neuro-pathways than simply pressing keys on a keyboard.

Be sure to view my 5-minute “Power of the Pen” DVD on my Home Page at www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com