Over the past decade, there’s been an increasing reliance on digital devices for learning – especially with the advent of Covid and our need for remote learning.
While digital tools offer many benefits, they’ve also led to a decline in traditional handwriting practice. As more educational content moves online, the opportunities for children to engage in handwriting activities have diminished. This dramatic shift away from handwriting and towards typing and digital entry has spurred some pretty revealing research into how it might be affecting young learners.
These studies have shown that the decline in handwriting practice can have negative effects on children’s cognitive and motor development. Research indicates that children who regularly engage in handwriting activities tend to have better memory retention and comprehension skills compared to those who primarily use digital devices for learning. One such study1 posted in 2024 by Frontiers in Psychology compared the use of handwriting to digital learning and found some startling results in favor of handwritten notes vs those typed with a keyboard. Their findings read in part:
ClayMaze.com has developed several handwriting practice workbooks over the years and needed to perform research and make the decision whether to use solid line tracing or dot-to-dot tracing in our resources. In our view there was overwhelming evidence supporting the use of solid line tracing and I’ve summarized some points below:
- Solid line tracing promotes fluid and continuous hand movements, which are crucial for developing fine motor skills. When children trace solid lines, they practice smooth and controlled movements, helping them gain muscle memory and hand control needed for writing.
- Dot-to-dot tracing can be fragmented, encouraging children to stop and start at each dot. This disrupts the flow of their movements and can hinder motor control. Solid lines offer a cohesive tracing experience, allowing for smoother transitions and better motor coordination.
- Solid lines provide a clear and complete shape, making it easier for children to understand the form and structure of letters and numbers. This enhances their recognition and memorization of these shapes, supporting their reading and writing development.
Early handwriting practice remains a crucial aspect of children’s development, even in our digital age. By incorporating traditional handwriting activities, particularly solid line tracing, we can support children’s cognitive, motor, and academic growth.