The Importance of Writing...with a Pencil

Guest post by: Alesia Netuk of primarylearning.org

​​We live in an age of growing opportunities for children to utilize technology to create their writing. From typing, to stylus pens, to voice-to-text software, there are many ways children can write other than picking up a pencil. While technology can be efficient and also provide accommodations for children who struggle with traditional pencil and paper tasks, there is still value in learning to write.
 
Writing helps develop visual motor skills. This is the communication between the eyes and the hands that allows us to write. These skills are necessary for other tasks as well, such as reading or catching a ball.
 
Writing by hand is also believed by some to slow down our thought process and allow us to dedicate time to areas such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar. These skills can be supported by technology but ultimately, rely on our own knowledge of how to use written language correctly. 

​Some argue that people will undoubtedly encounter situations where it is necessary or at least easier for them to write than type. Examples include signing their name on documents, leaving a quick note for someone, or writing a message in a card. In these cases, using technology is either not readily available, not as quick, or simply not serving the purpose behind the activity.    
 
Although technology continues to advance and increase in its popularity, writing has not gone by the wayside. Therefore, it continues to be important to teach our children how to print or use cursive writing. 
 
Children who are learning to print the letters of the alphabet can benefit from the handwriting worksheets . These worksheets provide visual models of the letters, the steps to forming each letter, and instructions for how to print using the proper pathways.
 
Similarly, children who are learning cursive writing can use the cursive letters worksheets.