Unfortunately, cursive handwriting is slowly diminishing in education systems. Limiting cursive handwriting in children has been shown to decrease their brain development. The correlation between brain development and cursive handwriting is that cursive emphasizes a rhythmic and continuous stroke, which specifically targets areas of the brain that relate to memory and absorbing new information.

So, writing in cursive actually allows a child to absorb information and memory recall at a more efficient rate than print handwriting. It also promotes fine motor and motor planning skills and facilitates the brain to integrate various forms of information at once. Some researchers have found that learning how to write in cursive can provide similar benefits as if a child were to learn a musical instrument. Cursive handwriting challenges a young child’s brain in ways that typical print handwriting cannot, which is why it should be encouraged in a child’s life.

Not only is cursive handwriting important but writing by hand (versus typing on a keyboard or tablet) is just as critical to implement for a young child. Due to societies increased digital activity, there are countless apps and tablet games that assist in handwriting; however, the effects do not compare to physically writing with a pencil and paper. This is because writing by hand allows the brain to remember information better.

Research has shown that physically writing with a pen/pencil has a direct correlation between reading acquisition in young children. By writing down information, your brain allows you to think and process what you are writing, whereas typing does not encourage processing the information in the same way. So, if you would like to encourage your child’s brain development, emphasize cursive handwriting and writing with the classic pencil and paper!