Recent research illustrates how writing by hand engages the brain in learning. And in an interesting twist, new technology is starting to reinvigorate this age-old practice.
So how does writing by hand engage the brain in learning? Research shows that:
* One study using an MRI machine which looked for "neural activity in the brain" showed that "children who had practiced printing by hand [showed] neural activty [that] was far more advanced and 'adult-like' than those who had simply looked at letters."
* Another study "demonstrated that in grades two, four and six, chilren wrote more words, faster,and expressed more ideas when writing essays by hand versus computer."
There are a number of other studies discussed in this post as well as a link to a short video that discusses some of the research.
Via Beth Dichter