Handwriting, keyboard, or both? This is the question being increasingly asked in classrooms, as schools try find the balance between the art of the written word and the tap of a keyboard.
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In a world increasingly dominated by computers and smart phones, it seems many educators still believe there is a place for teaching young children how to put pen to paper.
A study at Charles Sturt University, examining the teaching of both handwriting and keyboard skills to young children, has shed light on the importance of teaching students handwriting.
Head of Wagga Christian College’s junior school Vicky Roose said as well as keyboard skills, handwriting was still an important part of the school’s curriculum.
“Computers are so prevalent, but there's still times when it’s more practical to handwrite something,” she said.
“Writing is still a necessary educational requirement in this day and age.
“Kids don’t spend every single moment on a computer and it’s important to continue teaching these vital skills.”
Wagga-born letterer Carla Hackett agreed, saying handwriting forced children to use more complex areas of their minds compared to simply typing at a keyboard.
“Handwriting and lettering encourages kids to be creative and use different parts of their brains,” she said.
“From an artists point of view, handwriting can say so much about a person and there’s something so much more personal about something that’s handwritten, rather than generically typed on a keyboard.”
