Importance of Handwriting

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Importance of Handwriting Lauren Reyes Matthews RDG/201CA March 2, 2014 Robert Bassett I believe it is important to teach cursive handwriting in primary grades. The reason I feel this way is because studies show that handwriting improves brain activity and makes students more confident in their work. There has been extensive research done on how cursive handwriting changes brain structure. According to "Examiner" (2006-2014), “R. Shadmehr and H. Holcomb of Johns Hopkins University published a study in Science Magazine showing that their subject's brains actually changed in reaction to physical instruction such as cursive handwriting lessons. The researchers provided PET scans as evidence of these changes in brain structure. They also demonstrated that these changes resulted in an “almost immediate improvement in fluency,” which led to later development of neural pathways. As a result of practicing fine motor skills, the researchers found, knowledge becomes more stable.” Students with good handwriting feel better about their work, and are more proud of it. Mastering cursive handwriting give student’s confidence and a structured approach in their ability to communicate. Learning cursive handwriting impacts spelling tests, math quizzes, and essays. A student’s handwriting must be legible and automatic in order to maximize thinking time and creative writing skills ("Examiner", 2006-2014). Students who have good handwriting skills spend more time investing in the content of their writing than on the mechanics of writing. Handwriting is used so often in day to day life. Learning cursive makes handwriting easier, less difficult and time-consuming meaning we can write more in less time. “Handwriting in the earliest grades is linked to basic reading and spelling achievement; for example, when children learn how to form the letter m, they
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