Comments on: For kids, pen’s mightier than keyboard

By: Is Writing (with your hand) Better Than Typing? | The Passive Voice

Is Writing (with your hand) Better Than Typing? | The Passive Voice — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:05:00 +0000

[...] Berniger, who studies reading and writing systems and their relationship to learning processes, found that children’s writing ability was consistently better (they wrote more, faster, and more complete sentences) when they used a pen rather than a [...]

By: UberStudent.net

UberStudent.net — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:29:24 +0000

[...] Virginia Berniger (who was interviewed for the story) found in an experiment that children’s writing ability is consistently better when using pens and not keyboards. Why [...]

By: A power exists in the process of writing things down! « Anguished Repose

A power exists in the process of writing things down! « Anguished Repose — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 06:30:17 +0000

By: Why You Learn More Effectively by Writing Than Typing : AppGazebo

Why You Learn More Effectively by Writing Than Typing : AppGazebo — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 05:28:41 +0000

By: Why You Learn More Effectively By Writing Than Typing | Lifehacker Australia

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:07:49 +0000

By: Amy Ernlund

Amy Ernlund — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:00:10 +0000

Years ago I read an article that suggested a possible link between humans talking was a nerve that ran from our thumbs to the tongue and in chimpanzees not talking was that the nerve connection was missing. Also, we humans have a grasp that enables us to hold a pencil in a way that chimpanzees can not. so using our thumbs in certain activities increases neural activity and language. But I read this research article years ago and would love to track it down. Any ideas?

By: Kate Gladstone

Kate Gladstone — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:43:01 +0000

Gary Engstrand and others raise interested questions on cursive vs. printing.

Research that Virginia Berninger did some years ago with her colleague Steve Graham (citation on request) established, among other things, that the fastest legible handwriters avoid cursive. The fasteset legible handwriters tend to join only some letters, not all of them — making only the easiest joins, skipping the rest — and tend to use print-like letter-shapes for letters whose printed and cursive shapes disagree, The same research also revealed that people who produce “pure” cursive writing do not write any faster than people who produce “pure” printing.

This suggests some ways we need to change how we teach handwriting — for more information and resources, see my web-site http://www.HandwritingThatWorks.com

Kate Gladstone — director of the World Handwriting Contest
handwriting specialist, Handwriting Repair/Handwriting That Works

By: Nan Jay Barchowsky

Nan Jay Barchowsky — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:00:33 +0000

Thank you for this. I am always searching for the responsible rationale for teaching handwriting in elementary schools. As to adults, I am astounded at the success some have in remediating poor handwriting. This is based on feedback from some who have used my materials. Although I have theories only, it seems reasonable to assume that if one is taught print-script in the early years, and then conventional cursive in second or third grade, there is a strong potential for illegibility, as well as slow writing. It is a matter of learning a fine motor skill, developing habits of movement, and then retraining habits.

By: Gene

Gene — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:25:49 +0000

Some years ago my daughter’s Montessori teacher (“guide” to be technical) demonstrated to me how different it feels to compose while writing in cursive than it does printing. As a computer professional with illegible handwriting this was astonishing to me. Since then when I want to learn something I write it out in cursive. It has worked for me – and my handwriting has improved! It feels different. BTW, Montessorians successfully teach cursive to preschoolers.

By: Rosemary Forester

Rosemary Forester — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:38:30 +0000

Perhaps it would be helpful to bear in mind where children are at in terms of development. Their sensory integration is not at the level of an adult’s. From my experience in working with grade school kids it makes perfect sense that the majority would do better writing in pencil on paper. The senses have a chance to absorb the input and synthesis happens easily because one sense’s timing doesn’t dominate the others. When keyboard is involved a timing glitch often occurs. Of course, there are always exceptions and some kids who have a hard time getting thoughts through their fingers via the formation of letters find the keyboard a blessing.