Improved hand and finger motor skills for young students was the objective of an Indiana exhibition, according to the Indy Channel.
Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis attracted statewide occupational therapists to re-introduce the lost art that to some has fallen by the wayside due to laptops, smartphones and additional electronic devices that eliminate the need to write.
“Studies show the importance of handwriting on early reading and writing, and how it affects the portion of the brain that the child needs to have activated for oral language development,” handwriting expert Kathleen Wright told the news source. “Handwriting has a place along with technology. In fact we’ve developed an app to teach children how to make their letters on an iPad or iPhone. There’s also an app for manuscript and one for cursive, and we also have a digital resource program which is great for whole class instruction it’s very interactive.”
The therapists organized a course that would ease the troubles for students who encounter challenges.
Steve Graham, an education professor and literacy expert with Vanderbilt University, endorses cursive handwriting instruction over teaching manuscript, according to National Public Radio. He said one benefit is starting early on with the effort to produce someone who writes legibly.