Handwriting makes children smarter

According to new findings in brain science, writing by hand can improve learning and memory in children. At the same time, schools are becoming more and more digitization oriented.

Professor Audrey Van der Meer, from NTNU, believes that national guidelines should be developed to ensure that children receive at least a minimum level of handwriting training.

The results of several studies have shown that both children and adults perform better in learning and memory when they write by hand.

Now, another study has confirmed that learning and memory are best achieved by choosing to write by hand instead of using a keyboard.

She and her colleagues conducted two surveys, first in 2017 and the second conducted this year.

Both studies used electroencephalography to track and record brainwave activities. Participants wore hoods with more than 250 electrodes on their heads.

Electrical impulses are generated when the brain is active. Sensors in the electrodes are sensitive enough to record electrical activity in the brain.

The results showed that the brains of young people and children were much more active when they were writing by hand than when they were using a keyboard.

“Using pen and paper allows the brain to create more ‘hooks’ to hold onto memories. Writing by hand creates more activity in the sensorimotor part of the brain. You can get a lot of sensation by pressing the pen on the paper. The letters you write and the sounds you hear when you write, these sensory experiences create connections between different parts of the brain and explore more brain functions. Then, we learn better and remember better.”