Children should learn good handwriting, or typing at school, which is more important?

To write or to type? Or both? There is an ongoing debate and some educators even consider it
very controversial to do one or the other. As a parent, which should you focus on first?
Both handwriting and typing have their own unique benefits for child development.
Handwriting is believed to help with fine motor skills, as well as cognitive development, as it
requires children to physically write letters and words across a piece of paper in space. In
addition, handwriting can also be beneficial for memory and learning, as the act of writing
something down can help to reinforce it in the child’s mind. Each culture has unique
handwriting specifics, such as directionality. In Western cultures, we write from left to right
and read in this direction as well. What about typing? Is it replacing handwriting? After all,
who writes these days, right?

Typing can be beneficial for children’s keyboard skills and typing speed. Typing or swiping
on a smartphone or tablet is also a different set of skills than keyboarding. Typing in general
allows children to access and use technology at an early age. Additionally, typing is often
faster than handwriting, which can be beneficial for certain tasks, such as taking notes or
writing essays.

It seems that both handwriting and typing are important skills for children to learn and
develop. For one, this depends on the context and purpose to decide which one is more
appropriate for children to use.
Many teachers argue and even some studies have shown that the act of writing by hand can
lead to better understanding and retention of material, particularly for students in primary and
secondary school. This is thought to be because the physical act of writing by hand requires
more cognitive engagement and activates different areas of the brain than typing.
Additionally, some experts argue that handwriting can be more personal and expressive than
typing, which can be beneficial for children’s creativity and self-expression. From choosing a
pen to the colors to the paper to the actual handwriting compared to “just typing it out” is the
argument.
Some experts recommend that children should be taught to write by hand before they are
taught to type. This is because handwriting is a more natural and intuitive process for young
children, whereas typing requires more abstract thinking and understanding of the keyboard
layout. You also go by feeling of the keys to type.

Another important aspect to consider is that some children may find it easier to write by hand
or type, depending on individual preferences, learning styles, and abilities. For example,
some children may have difficulty with fine motor skills, which may make handwriting more
challenging for them. In such cases, typing may be a more appropriate option. But
occupational therapy can be traditionally very helpful for developing handwriting skills. It
had been well researched and practiced in schools.
When teaching handwriting, it’s recommended to use a multi-sensory approach, which
includes visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic components. This can help to make the
learning process more engaging, fun, and effective for children.
Similarly, when teaching typing, it’s recommended to start with basic keyboard skills, such as
learning the location of letters and numbers on the keyboard, before moving on to more
advanced typing skills. Staring with the homerow keys and then advancing one’s skills. Long
before videogames before mainstream, there were games that taught typing. Now there are a
wealth of games that may be more tailored and advanced to help typers type even faster
through real-time feedback and advanced algorithms. This is called gamification. There is an
entire community of keyboard enthusiasts and a culture of building your own keyboard by
hand. One could argue that typing then is a form of expression as well. I remember going to
Starbucks and seeing a college student take out a cool looking keyboard and attaching it to
their laptop.

It is also important to be mindful of the technology and tools used in the teaching process, as
well as the settings and environment. For example, using a proper ergonomic setup, such as
an adjustable chair and a keyboard and mouse that are the right size for the child’s hand, can
help to reduce the risk of injury and discomfort to prevent future problems. Not that
handwriting doesn’t have its own issues if proper ergonomics are not followed, but it seems
that typing can be done much longer in time than handwriting. And on the screen, even
longer than on a keyboard.
Handwriting and typing should not be seen as mutually exclusive skills. In fact, many people
use a combination of both in their daily lives, depending on the context and purpose of the
task at hand on a day to day. For example, someone may take notes by hand during a meeting
but type them up later, or they may write a letter by hand but use a computer to type a report.
It’s situational and depends on individual preferences. It seems that handwriting is falling out
of popularity though.

In education, it’s important to teach students the value and appropriate use of both
handwriting and typing, so that they can choose the best tool for the task at hand. This can
help to promote flexibility and adaptability in their learning and work. One limitation to this
is access and funding. Not all schools may be able to provide such resources and
opportunities.

In addition, handwriting and typing can also be integrated in the classroom in various ways to
enhance the learning experience. For instance, students can take notes by hand, then type
them up and submit them as an assignment. This way, they are engaging both their cognitive
and motor skills and getting the benefits of both writing and typing. Best of both worlds.
Occupational therapists can play an integral role in this process as they can provide
intervention in the child’s most natural setting – in their classroom at school.
Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that focuses on helping individuals with
physical, mental, and developmental conditions to perform daily activities, or “occupations”,
as independently and safely as possible. OTs also work in the school setting. Handwriting is
one of the many tasks that occupational therapists work on with their students.

In occupational therapy, handwriting is often used as a tool to help individuals improve their
fine motor skills, visual-motor coordination, and overall function in daily activities such as
school assignments. Occupational therapists use a variety of techniques and strategies to help
individuals improve their handwriting, such as:

-Teaching proper grip and pencil holding techniques.

-Using adaptive equipment, such as special pens and pencils, to make writing easier and more
functional.
-Practicing writing exercises and activities, such as tracing and copying letters, to improve
muscle memory and control at school.
-Incorporating visual-motor coordination activities, such as drawing and coloring, to help
improve the connection between the eyes and hands in an engaging manner.
-Utilizing technology, such as word processors, to support writing when needed.
-Addressing underlying conditions that might affect handwriting, such as attention or visual-
perception difficulties.
Also, occupational therapy for handwriting can be beneficial for individuals of all ages and
abilities, including children, adults, and seniors. It can help to improve the ability to write
legibly, increase writing speed, and reduce the fatigue and discomfort associated with
writing. This can be especially frustrating for students who are facing struggles in school.

In conclusion, both handwriting and typing are important skills for children to learn and
develop. They should be seen as complementary skills, rather than mutually exclusive, and
students should be taught the value and appropriate use of both. Educators may favor one
over the other, but they should be holistic and consider both. Handwriting and typing can be
integrated in the classroom in various ways to enhance the learning experience, as well as to
promote flexibility and adaptability in students’ learning and work. A student can be strong
with one and need more help with another and this is where occupational therapy can help,
yes even with typing.

Writing is one of the imperative parts of any individual and it carries throughout their lives.
Some people claim that at the initial stage of children educational careers teachers should
emphasize more on handwriting, while others has totally different opinion, and they said
institutions should include modern education and make compulsory typing in school. This
essay will elaborate on both aspects and thus lead to a plausible conclusion.
At the outset, there are numerous reasons why writing would play an intrinsic for any child at
the initial stage of their educational career. Small toddlers should not use typewriters to start
their writing. Additionally, it helps small ones know about the alphabet of any language. In
other sense, it is fundamental of study. For example, according to a survey it has been proved
that if any pupil those who have very good handwriting excel in their future endeavors.
On the other hand, we should commence typewriting in the institutions but at the secondary
stage of any student. Since they will understand the functionality of typewriter and can easily
handle it carefully. For example, there was an experiment conducted in 'Australia Primary
School' by inducting computers but it was not successful.
In the light of the above discussion, we can conclude that both handwriting and typewriting
play an essential role in any students but teachers and school administrations should include
at the proper time.