It is important to define what “good handwriting” means. Good handwriting should be clear, tidy and legible. Good handwriting should also be formed quickly and with speed.
The teaching of clear handwriting should be a component of school education.
Currently, there is a clash between dependence on technology for assignments, and the requirement to write by hand in exams. We must always bear in mind that good handwriting is crucial to exam success. When it comes to learning new skills, the brain is adaptive; new neuronal connections are created in the parts of the brain relevant to the new skill. For instance, playing the piano, leads to more growth of cells in the brain area related to finger movement. So the brain actually changes as a direct effect of practicing that skill. Therefore, according to the things we do repeatedly, the brain changes. Thus, good handwriting is a lost art in the world of technology.
Pupils should be taught to write neatly and with speed.
When children are told to use their computers throughout the school year, but suddenly write by hand in exams, their brain is unprepared and it may come as something of a shock! If they have not practiced a particular skill, such as handwriting, their brains would not have had a chance to develop strong network of neurons needed to support the action involved. The Magic Link handwriting programme is a highly structured, logical method of teaching letter and word formation so pupils learn to how to write neatly and fluently. This will enable them to quickly master the art of good handwriting. Cursive writing is a skill that is required for speed, as writing in print is often much slower and arduous.
Can clear, legible handwriting be taught?
The result is that the children focus more on the physical act of writing than on the answers, causing them to do worse than they would have done if they were as skilled at handwriting as on their laptop keyboards. This can be a real problem – one that is overlooked in the pressure pot of examination culture yet obvious at a moment’s reflection. In fact, students commonly have aching hands and pins and needles, during or after exams, as a direct result of intense writing, particularly as they are often not used to this. Most students today use their computers for revision – many claim handwriting is old fashioned, even out-dated. But to pass an exam at school, sixth form or higher education, one must write a 2 or 3 hour exam by hand and it is only possible to pass if a teacher or examiner can read the answer. This may seem to stand out a mile but it is often an overlooked concept.
Forming letters by hand aids recall.
Moreover, the process of forming letters and words by hand aids information recall of the things they write about, which can’t be said about typing on a computer keyboard. When students focus more on handwriting in exams, rather than content, they miss the opportunity to solidify memory of the exam topic. This may cause anxiety and stress, resulting in aching hands, so handwriting will suffer. By following the Magic Link® handwriting, students are able to understand the logic and process behind achieving good handwriting.
The Magic Link® handwriting programme takes on average 6 weeks to complete. If students were taught good handwriting practice well in advance of exams, they would feel more confident about their writing capabilities. So, rather than stressing over hand dexterity or handwriting style during the exam, they would be able to regurgitate information fluently and automatically. The importance of this cannot be overstated and is so very often lost in the quagmire of examination related issues.
Is good handwriting crucial to exam success?
Of course, it is crucial to achieve as high a mark as possible in the examination. Teachers often struggle to read and understand the points and clever explanations covered in exam essays. They obviously cannot allocate marks for something they have not read. Sadly, many students fail exams purely because of bad handwriting which renders their work messy or illegible as well as slowing down their speed. The Magic Link® handwriting programme teaches all the skills required to achieve such developments, ultimately to allow them to master good handwriting abilities. Good handwriting achieves better grades in 7+, 11+ GCSE and A level examinations.
