Handwriting and Typing, An Intentional Philosophy
Handwriting, and more specifically cursive writing, are two
subjects that have recently found themselves at the forefront of many debates
related to the Common Core Standards that have now been adopted in forty-six states.
Rather than rehash the well-worn debate regarding Common Core standards and the
removal of handwriting from the curriculum of many schools, I would like to share
a few quotes from recent articles to answer the rationale of why Woodland teaches
cursive and handwriting.
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“studies have also found that adults write
better and longer prose when they are faster at writing by hand” Moyer, 2014
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“in children, writing by hand helps improve
letter recognition, which is the strongest predictor of reading success” Karin
James, Ph.D, Indiana University
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“Dr.
Berninger goes so far as to suggest that cursive writing may train self-control
ability in a way that other modes of writing do not…” New York Times, What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades, Maria Konniko, June 2, 2014
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“When
we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated,” said Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France
in Paris.
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“learning
to write in cursive is shown to improve brain development in the areas of
thinking, language and working memory. Cursive handwriting stimulates brain
synapses and synchronicity between the left and right hemispheres, something
absent from printing and typing.” Asherson, 2013
The “do you teach handwriting” question at Woodland
represents a microcosm of Woodland’s approach to education. At Woodland you
will see an appropriate mix of innovative and “tried and true” teaching
strategies and curriculum being taught. The teaching of cursive handwriting and
typing is just one example of the not “throwing the baby out with the bath
water” approach to education that Woodland has embraced for decades. Over time,
educational trends and bureaucratic decisions come and go but there are certain
developmental milestones that all students must reach and certain teaching
methods and curriculum that have helped students reach those milestones for generations.
Without an intentional effort from independent schools to keep valuable
curricular strands like handwriting in the curriculum, schools could be
developing students who will not be prepared for the post-school world.
One of the most valuable aspects of an independent school is
that they are not forced to adopt particular curriculums or “fads” but each
school is empowered to make decisions based on what is truly best for their
students. In my opinion, in order for students to fully develop and reach their
potential, a school’s curriculum should have a healthy mix of innovative and
“tried and true” methods and pedagogies like cursive handwriting and typing.
