Should we be teaching children to write?

Hand written words can be kept secret, diaries and so on, thoughts a person wants to keep to themselves .
They can also be completely destroyed if necessarry, or can last forever.

Are we talking about writing or handwriting? Writing is hugely important in expressing your thoughts and ideas, reflecting, editing, revising and sharing. In my opinion, handwriting is mostly a waste of time and discriminates against children with a range of learning difficulties. I hand write shopping lists and letters of condolences. Otherwise I type or dictate before editing.

Basic arithmetic is still taught some 50 years after calculators became widespread, so I would really hope that the teaching of handwriting will continue too.

It is probably my age that makes me think this way, but I simply don't think that we will ever be able to rely on technology being available/ able to replace these skills 100% of the time.

I just can't imagine a world without handwriting words on a piece of paper. Just little things like sticking a post it note on a malfunctioning equipment in the office, a reminder on the fridge, signing for a delivery... I would also assume it helps kids learn fine motor skills and other skills.

I think it's a necessary skill. My dgs1 has been learning how to write and handwriting too. I would hate to see it disappear

My take on this is that handwriting helps to develop fine motor skills and concentration, it also helps children learn their letters and numbers.

It can be awful for left handed children though and those with learning difficulties, but they have to overcome other difficulties so why not writing!

I have just received my Mother's ( Gran's ) Day card from the Wee Boy, DGS2 aged 6.
His neatly handwritten message to me means more than all the expensive gifts.

Hand writing is essential and IMO should still be taught in school.

My eldest grandson is autistic and his writing was pretty bad, We were worried when the school started to teach them cursive but it turned out that he could produce the most beautiful writing. I doubt if he bothers much now he's 19, everything is on his computer, but hopefully it's lurking in his brain somewhere.

I’m trying to think of the advantages of not being able to write. 🤔

We might say the same of art. There are plenty of art paint computer programmes nowadays, why would anyone bother with messing about with a pencil, or acrylics or oils? Or sculpture. Just write a programme and produce objects on a 3D printer instead.

A handwritten note is really appreciated but rarely received these days. What about Pitmans shorthand? Are we planning to lose it.

SueDonim

I’m trying to think of the advantages of not being able to write. 🤔

We might say the same of art. There are plenty of art paint computer programmes nowadays, why would anyone bother with messing about with a pencil, or acrylics or oils? Or sculpture. Just write a programme and produce objects on a 3D printer instead.

If you are writing for a purpose, you need the ability to reflect and edit.
If you just want to make pretty marks on a piece of paper then handwriting is fine.
Would you honestly make as many drafts of a complex report by hand?

I have always thought my handwriting is pretty bad . I had friends who could write beautifully at school. I was so surprised and pleased when someone at work complimented me on my lovely handwriting. My first thought was standards must have dropped. My son ,who has ADHD, should have been a doctor as his writing is atrocious. Before he was diagnosed the school and ourselves spent hours trying to teach him to write neatly . If only we had known it was a symptom of ADHD.

seasider

I have always thought my handwriting is pretty bad . I had friends who could write beautifully at school. I was so surprised and pleased when someone at work complimented me on my lovely handwriting. My first thought was standards must have dropped. My son ,who has ADHD, should have been a doctor as his writing is atrocious. Before he was diagnosed the school and ourselves spent hours trying to teach him to write neatly . If only we had known it was a symptom of ADHD.

Strangely enough, my old GP had beautiful handwriting!

seasider

I have always thought my handwriting is pretty bad . I had friends who could write beautifully at school. I was so surprised and pleased when someone at work complimented me on my lovely handwriting. My first thought was standards must have dropped. My son ,who has ADHD, should have been a doctor as his writing is atrocious. Before he was diagnosed the school and ourselves spent hours trying to teach him to write neatly . If only we had known it was a symptom of ADHD.

Funny you should say that.... Both I and DS have atrocious writing and the same remark used to be made about us, but DS and I both have dyspraxia as well as ADHD.

DGS, who has ADHD, but not dyspraxia, has uite good writing.

handwriting is mostly a waste of time and discriminates against children with a range of learning difficulties.

Handwriting needs to be legible, at all times.
If children were taught the correct pencil grip in Reception they would find the mastery of handwriting far easier.
Writing reinforces reading, and is important in teaching spelling, but that of course is also increasingly regarded as irrelevant, by those who can't be bothered to learn.

handwriting is mostly a waste of time and discriminates against children with a range of learning difficulties.

The vast majority of children do not have learning difficulties. Why should the lack of handwriting, and other subjects, be for the benefit of the few instead of the majority?

As others have said, children with learning difficulties have other problems to overcome, but that doesn't mean that what works for them should be applicable to all other children.

I wouldn't say that learning handwriting is a waste of time either. There are many occasions when a handwritten note is essential.

Thanks for the info Daddima!

Handwriting is not a waste of time. What a stupid thing to say.

Cossy

My take on this is that handwriting helps to develop fine motor skills and concentration, it also helps children learn their letters and numbers.

It can be awful for left handed children though and those with learning difficulties, but they have to overcome other difficulties so why not writing!

I agree with the points in your first paragraph.
Being left handed and/or having a learning difficulty often means writing is more difficult.
It’s still worth teaching though. In the 1980s, I taught Cerys, who was left handed and dyslexic before that was commonly recognised. She had incredibly neat handwriting even in Y2.

Our 5 year old grandson loves writing 🤷‍♀️

Handwriting can be difficult for children with a range of special needs including dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD.
Word processing and voice input can liberate children with physical disabilities and allow them to work alongside their peers.
If the teaching of handwriting styles takes time away from the teaching of writing, it is lost time.

If we don't teach our children how to write with their hands (that is not the same as teaching particular styles of artistic handwriting as an art form) then if we ever go over entirely to typing everything onto screens we would be completely vulnerable if some unforeseeable catastophe were to wipe out all electronic technology. Since almost all information and records is now in digital form, that would leave us in a state similar to illiterate peasants, with no internet, TV, radio, or even newspapers.

We would all have to learn very fast how to communicate with one another at a distance by scribbling a note, putting it in a cover, adding the name and address of the person we would like to receive it, and how the courier will be able to find that town, that street, that house and that person - and we would have to hope that they are able to read the rough scratches of the name and address so that it gets where it is meant to go, and that the recipient also can decipher what we meant to tell them.

Already, many people can't do cursive "joined-up" writing, only printing, which takes longer to do because it is one letter at a time, all stops and starts. Many can't read cursive writing either.