31 May 2024

Lately, I have heard myself looking through the Juniors' Writing books and exclaiming to all and sundry, "I have never experienced such lovely strong letter formation in the Junior School!" Now this is coming from someone who was told at a very young age my writing was so small it was problematic to then being the one with the 'teacher writing' who was asked to do the chalk on the blackboard as a trainee teacher - if only writing in straight lines on a blackboard without making that dreadful screeeeech was so simple!

I am thrilled we are focusing on good handwriting and I am thrilled that we have limited technology, for I am concerned about the ability for our very young to develop the finer motor skills, engage in the creative process of pencil on paper.... call me old fashioned "old fashioned!" I know technology can be a very useful tool and I know, for some children, it allows access to learning that they may not otherwise have.

"We know there are many benefits to writing by hand - in a digital world we risk losing them.

Handwriting makes us better writer, free of suggestions of spelling and grammar apps and it represents something of our personalities." (Nova Weetman)

Nova Weetman, who is an award winning children's author, goes on to discuss how writing by hand encourages creativity, improves memory, allows for the processing of information more deeply.... and handwriting is also a tool to represent personality! 

Who remembers writing curly, adding flourishes, trying out the small and squashy (that's when my parents were called in by the very concerned teacher - not realising I was testing out my personality!) or going all large and flamboyant?! 

Hey, our Juniors even love sharpening pencils!! So satisfying!

It's an interesting discussion and one that we need to debate. We have this obligation to support our children to be 'keyboard confident' to a degree, but when and how is the juicy topic. 

It's a Both/And .... and in good time, I feel. What do you think?