Handwriting and the Brain

Handwriting and the brain...some say handwriting is a lost art. If handwriting is a lost art,  we are losing a valuable skill that is GOOD for our BRAINS!

Handwriting does more for us than just allow us to communicate with each other.  Handwriting fully engages your brain by using motor skills.  Cursive handwriting especially stimulates both sides of your brain because of the loopy strokes-crossing the midline!

Check out this video on Brain Balancing exercises to support reading and writing!  This is a perfect brain break or just add it to your writing center for a warm-up!

This video is AMAZING!  It talks about motor memory and the brain using lazy eights.  The really neat part is the connection to how the lazy eights support lowercase letter formation! 

 I love this article from Red Booth about the benefits of handwriting and memory!  Click below to visit the site and read. 

Knowing this information now, getting pencils into our kiddo's hands as often as possible is super important for the transfer of new information in the brain.  

Mini-lessons and large group reading of text are great opportunities to get pencils into your student's hands.  

• Bring wipe boards to the carpet to have them record their visualizations.
• Provide double-entry journals for students to record their thinking.
• Provide graphic organizers for students to record their thinking.
• Pose open-ended questions during the story for students to write short answers to and then turn and talk with a partner.

Center time is another fantastic time for students to write. Add this music to your classroom center time to activate your student's brains to 100%.  I listened to this while writing this and it was amazing how focused I felt!  

• Authentic Writing can be as simple as journal writing or provide prompts for students to write about. 
• Making lists
• Graphic Organizers
• Beginning research projects
• Writing Letters

Independent Reading time is also a perfect place to add in writing.   

• Provide post-it notes for students to record their thinking. 
• Add graphic organizers
• Use questions from the F & P Prompting Guide for students to answer. 
• Provide students with reading journals
• Ask students to create a sales ad for their book (Persuasive Writing)

Discover Words is also a perfect place for students to extend their words in narrative stories or use their vocabulary in sentences. 

Don't forget our handwriting binder that can be used during enhancement or during a center. It is located on the PVES Info Site under Enhancement Resources. 

My big take away from this post is students are doing MORE than just writing when they pick up a pencil.  They are activating their brain and we all know when a brain has activated the transfer of new information to the hippocampus is faster and stronger!