"Just as effortful word decoding may impair reading comprehension, or lack of automatic recall may reduce the mental resources available for learning advanced computational algorithms in math, labored handwriting creates a drain on mental resources needed for higher-level aspects of writing, such as attention to content, elaboration of details, and organization of ideas."
--Louise Spear-Swerling, 2006
Taking Notes and Making an Impression. Even in the digital age, people still need to write by hand. The essay portion of the SAT is often cited as an example. Research shows that evaluators rank neatly written essays more highly than those that are sloppily written. And a student who cannot write neatly and quickly enough to take effective notes will face great difficulties in high school and beyond. But are these the only reasons to teach handwriting? Are researchers advocating a return to the Palmer Method, with hours of practice each week? The answer to both questions is "no."
Handwriting and Reading. When children write an alphabet letter, they gain valuable kinesthetic reinforcement of the letter's appearance, and if the link is made, to the letter's sound as well. Writing words also reinforces their spelling and is an important element of phonics teaching. Students who struggle with forming letters, however, have less attention to devote to the word pattern or even the meaning of what they are writing.
Handwriting and Working Memory. Recent research in both children and adults has found fluent handwriting to be a critical element of writing success. As Peverly (2006) reported in Developmental Neuropsychology, fluent handwriting reduces the burden on working memory (WM), and makes more WM available for the metacognitive processes needed for quality writing. Fluent, legible handwriting frees the writer to focus more on words or ideas, and less on the mechanics of forming letters.
Explicit Instruction is Necessary. Handwriting experts agree that it is important for students to learn the basic elements of legible, quick handwriting, such as slant and size, and the formation of letters with a continuous stroke. This instruction need not take hours each week, nor happen in isolation. Ten to fifteen minutes per day, with children not just drilling on letter forms but practicing their handwriting within the curriculum, is suggested as a goal. Children first learning to write, for example, can focus on the sound of the letter as they are writing it, reinforcing phonemic awareness as they learn handwriting. And of course, the more students write, the more handwriting practice they will get.
More Information. See the links below for specific teaching tips and techniques, and many more research links on the importance of legible, fluent, fast handwriting.
