by Linda Lanza
Writing is part imagination and part rules of the road. Every writing system uses a series of basic language elements to express ideas and facilitate communication.
No matter what field you work in, professional recruiter Nick Corcodilos says. “The way you use language reveals who you are, how you think, and how you work. And that will affect your career profoundly.”
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at University of Washington, cites evidence that “handwriting engages the mind, and that can help children pay attention to written language.”
Dr. Berninger notes that writing by hand activates motor parts of our brain, “but what’s very critical is the activation of a region of our brain, the fusiform gyrus, where the visual and language come together.”
A study led by Karin James, professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University, found that when kids practice handwriting, they activate their brain’s reading circuit.
Additional peer-reviewed research published in Frontiers in Psychology in July 2020 highlights the cognitive benefits of this sensory-motor integration, combined with the fine and precisely controlled hand movements when writing by hand.
The report concludes that “it is vital to maintain both activities in a learning environment to facilitate and optimize learning.”
The evidence is clear that writing by hand, has a “really significant effect on our cognition,” which can impact our livelihood. Besides all that, it’s personal, creative, and fun!
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