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For the Love of Writing Letters

Fun Facts about Hand-Writing Letters: 

  • Results from several studies have shown that both children and adults learn more and remember better when writing by hand. Now another study confirms the same: choosing handwriting over keyboard use yields the best learning and memory. (Neuroscience News) 
  • A few experiments have shown that the brain only recognizes symbols that it learned if they were printed by hand, not if they were typed. When we are learning new letters, math symbols, or other symbols, it is much better to print them by hand than to type them. (Frontiers for Young Minds) 
  • The ability to read cursive matters. As Michel Martin points out on NPR, "many of the most important historical documents in the U.S., everything from the Declaration of Independence to the Bill of Rights, are written in cursive." What happens when we require a translator for our most precious founding documents? (Treehugger.com) 
  • Writing by hand makes us slow down. When you write by hand, you write more thoughtfully. Such mindful writing rests the brain, unlocking potential creativity, says neuroscientist Claudia Aguirre. (Fast Company) 
  • The act of writing itself can reduce stress, which helps improve focus and attention in the classroom. (Oxford Learning) 
  • Handwriting increases neural activity in certain sections of the brain, similar to meditation. (Forbes)
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