For Students:
What does your signature say about you?
Key Features in Your Signature:
Key Features in Your Signature:
- Size of the signature
- Size of the first letter of the signature
- Slant of the signature
- Use of first name, last name, or initials
- Underlining of the signature
- Dotting of the signature
- Use of any backward loops in the signature
For Educators:
How Important is Handwriting?
Should handwriting still be taught?
Erin Dolin, handwriting expert, shares activities and reasons for handwriting with KCRA3.
We expect children to know their letters and write their letters. 00:41-00:44
Neurological research is very strong at showing and demonstrating the connections that are made between learning and the activity of cursive handwriting. 01:09 -01:18
Signature is so important. It’s something that is unique to us and we don’t want to be able to forge that. We don’t want to be resorting to just an x on the box. 01:35-01:48
Learning should be fun because when you have fun you learn. I’m a strong believer in that. Young children when they’re learning to print their letters are hands on and they need hands-on multisensory opportunities for learning. Handwriting Without Tears is a curriculum which only takes 15 minutes out of a teacher’s day to teach that aligns with common core and allows children to understand processes that goes along (with handwriting). 01:55 - 02:16
We also have a signature technique called Wet-Dry-Try. You give the form to the child and then you go through with your sponge cube and you trace with the Wet and then you do with the Dry and then it leaves this outline and then you take your chalk and you do the Try. 02:33-02:52
Really keep it fun. We use Play-Doh, Twizzlers, using their favourite foods. Taking Skittles or M&Ms and lining them up (on letters). There’s so many things you can do if you want to get creative; shaving cream and pudding. Demonstration with shaving cream. 02:58-03:30
Should handwriting still be taught?
Erin Dolin, handwriting expert, shares activities and reasons for handwriting with KCRA3.
We expect children to know their letters and write their letters. 00:41-00:44
Neurological research is very strong at showing and demonstrating the connections that are made between learning and the activity of cursive handwriting. 01:09 -01:18
Signature is so important. It’s something that is unique to us and we don’t want to be able to forge that. We don’t want to be resorting to just an x on the box. 01:35-01:48
Learning should be fun because when you have fun you learn. I’m a strong believer in that. Young children when they’re learning to print their letters are hands on and they need hands-on multisensory opportunities for learning. Handwriting Without Tears is a curriculum which only takes 15 minutes out of a teacher’s day to teach that aligns with common core and allows children to understand processes that goes along (with handwriting). 01:55 - 02:16
We also have a signature technique called Wet-Dry-Try. You give the form to the child and then you go through with your sponge cube and you trace with the Wet and then you do with the Dry and then it leaves this outline and then you take your chalk and you do the Try. 02:33-02:52
Really keep it fun. We use Play-Doh, Twizzlers, using their favourite foods. Taking Skittles or M&Ms and lining them up (on letters). There’s so many things you can do if you want to get creative; shaving cream and pudding. Demonstration with shaving cream. 02:58-03:30
What is Graphology?
We were all taught to write in a specific way when we were children at school, but it is evident that no one continues to write exactly the way they were taught and everyone’s handwriting looks different. In fact as soon as someone can write, he or she gradually alters the shapes and sizes of letters in accordance with individual likes and dislikes.
Why is this?
The reason is that our personalities affect the way our handwriting develops after we were taught to write. This is because handwriting is the pattern of our psychology expressed in symbols on the page and these symbols are as unique as our own DNA.
We were all taught to write in a specific way when we were children at school, but it is evident that no one continues to write exactly the way they were taught and everyone’s handwriting looks different. In fact as soon as someone can write, he or she gradually alters the shapes and sizes of letters in accordance with individual likes and dislikes.
Why is this?
The reason is that our personalities affect the way our handwriting develops after we were taught to write. This is because handwriting is the pattern of our psychology expressed in symbols on the page and these symbols are as unique as our own DNA.
Click the button below to continue reading the rest of the article ...
What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades By MARIA KONNIKOVA JUNE 2, 2014
Does handwriting matter?
Not very much, according to many educators. The Common Core standards, which have been adopted in most states, call for teaching legible writing, but only in kindergarten and first grade. After that, the emphasis quickly shifts to proficiency on the keyboard.
But psychologists and neuroscientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting a relic of the past. New evidence suggests that the links between handwriting and broader educational development run deep.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. In other words, it’s not just what we write that matters — but how.
Does handwriting matter?
Not very much, according to many educators. The Common Core standards, which have been adopted in most states, call for teaching legible writing, but only in kindergarten and first grade. After that, the emphasis quickly shifts to proficiency on the keyboard.
But psychologists and neuroscientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting a relic of the past. New evidence suggests that the links between handwriting and broader educational development run deep.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. In other words, it’s not just what we write that matters — but how.
Click the button link below to continue reading the rest of the article ...
J. Richard Gentry Ph.D.
Raising Readers, Writers, and Spellers
The Importance of Handwriting Instruction
Handwriting instruction is crucial for a child's education.
Mr. Tupper’s Interview with Dr. Gentry
1. Is handwriting still an important skill for kids? Why?
Handwriting is crucial because recent brain scan studies have shown that early handwriting skill helps kids learn to read. Keyboarding doesn’t have this effect. With a language such as English with its difficult spelling system, early handwriting practice and writing down messages and thoughts helps kids break the code.
Raising Readers, Writers, and Spellers
The Importance of Handwriting Instruction
Handwriting instruction is crucial for a child's education.
Mr. Tupper’s Interview with Dr. Gentry
1. Is handwriting still an important skill for kids? Why?
Handwriting is crucial because recent brain scan studies have shown that early handwriting skill helps kids learn to read. Keyboarding doesn’t have this effect. With a language such as English with its difficult spelling system, early handwriting practice and writing down messages and thoughts helps kids break the code.
Click the button below to read the rest of the interview ...
9 Reasons Not to Abandon the Art of Handwritten Letters
This article focuses on the reasons to continue handwriting letters. The list of reasons can be applied to the many reasons why we should continue to teach handwriting.
My favourite reasons are:
Science has linked expressive writing to better mood, reduced stress and improved overall sense of well-being.
Handwriting makes every word count. When handwriting you have to really think about the words you are forming a writing tool. You must consider how to form each letter as well as recall how the word is spelled.
Handwriting sparks creativity. Taking to pen and paper utilizes the visual, motor and cognitive brain processes differently than when we recruit technology to help us out. It is also by nature more labor-intensive, requiring us to slow down and connect the mind with the hand, one word at a time. Together these factors can make the sensory experience of writing just what you need to get those creative juices flowing.
Handwriting requires your undivided attention. By recruiting all of the senses to participate in the writing-by-hand process, little room is left for multitasking.
Handwriting requires unplugging. For those few minutes, you will live entirely in the present moment and in the thoughts you’re putting on paper.
This article focuses on the reasons to continue handwriting letters. The list of reasons can be applied to the many reasons why we should continue to teach handwriting.
My favourite reasons are:
Science has linked expressive writing to better mood, reduced stress and improved overall sense of well-being.
Handwriting makes every word count. When handwriting you have to really think about the words you are forming a writing tool. You must consider how to form each letter as well as recall how the word is spelled.
Handwriting sparks creativity. Taking to pen and paper utilizes the visual, motor and cognitive brain processes differently than when we recruit technology to help us out. It is also by nature more labor-intensive, requiring us to slow down and connect the mind with the hand, one word at a time. Together these factors can make the sensory experience of writing just what you need to get those creative juices flowing.
Handwriting requires your undivided attention. By recruiting all of the senses to participate in the writing-by-hand process, little room is left for multitasking.
Handwriting requires unplugging. For those few minutes, you will live entirely in the present moment and in the thoughts you’re putting on paper.
To read the full article click the button below ...
_5 Ways Handwriting Can Benefit the Brain
Memory
Finger movements, such as those required to write out letters and then words, create thought patterns in regions of the brain that control working memory.
Memory
Finger movements, such as those required to write out letters and then words, create thought patterns in regions of the brain that control working memory.
Click the button below to read the 5 Ways Handwriting Can Benefit the Brain ...
Brain activity is as unique – and identifying – as a fingerprint
Each of us is unique, with our own strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. While this is a truism everyone grasps intuitively, it’s been difficult to determine if and how this individuality is reflected in brain activity.
In fact, it turns out that the ebb and flow of brain activity is like a fingerprint: each person has their own signature pattern
Each of us is unique, with our own strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. While this is a truism everyone grasps intuitively, it’s been difficult to determine if and how this individuality is reflected in brain activity.
In fact, it turns out that the ebb and flow of brain activity is like a fingerprint: each person has their own signature pattern
Click the button below to continue reading ...
The Importance of Signing Your Name
GREG SMITH, MD | EDUCATION | JANUARY 9, 2014
I want to tell you about something critical, something key to my medical education that happened to me in that army clinic one day many, many years ago.
My attending physician was talking to me about what he expected of me, going over charting and seeing patients and writing notes and all the usual stuff. He then surprised me by asking me one simple question that I had never even thought about up to that point in my fledgling medical career.
“Have you figured out how you’re going to sign your name yet?”
“Sir?” I asked, not understanding exactly what he meant.
“Your signature. Have you figured out how you’re going to sign your name?”
GREG SMITH, MD | EDUCATION | JANUARY 9, 2014
I want to tell you about something critical, something key to my medical education that happened to me in that army clinic one day many, many years ago.
My attending physician was talking to me about what he expected of me, going over charting and seeing patients and writing notes and all the usual stuff. He then surprised me by asking me one simple question that I had never even thought about up to that point in my fledgling medical career.
“Have you figured out how you’re going to sign your name yet?”
“Sir?” I asked, not understanding exactly what he meant.
“Your signature. Have you figured out how you’re going to sign your name?”
Click How to Sign Your Name to continue reading Greg's article ...
My signature "is key to who I am, what I do, and how I present myself to the world." ~Greg Smith, MD
Ten Reasons People Still Need Cursive
By Jennifer Doverspike
FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Jennifer gives ten reasons why people still need cursive. I really appreciate the following reasons:
3. Our Hands Should Be MultilingualCertainly, it is important for students to know how to type, especially as more schools move toward taking tests via computer. One would think then the concern of students not writing fast enough to compose correctly disappears.
However, research indicates there still is a huge benefit to handwriting. During early childhood, writing letters improves letter recognition, and we use the hand and brain differently when writing than when typing.
4. We Learn Better When We Write It DownEven older children and adults benefit from handwriting. Two psychologists ran studies in which they realized students learn better taking handwritten notes as opposed to typing on a computer—even with Internet distractions disabled.
One reason is writing things down is slow. Therefore, one cannot write down every word a lecturer utters. Instead of a “shallow transcription” process, which requires no critical thinking and doesn’t require your brain to engage the material being presented, the student needs to summarize, use keywords, paraphrase, and perhaps even ask questions for clarification.
5. Handwriting Leads to Cognitive Development, Self-Esteem, and Academic SuccessFailure to create fluency in written script has negative effects on both academic success and self-esteem. Even though typing seems ubiquitous, handwriting is still “the most immediate form of graphic communication.” In addition, no other task taught in school requires as much synchronization as handwriting.
Simply put, handwriting uses more of your brain. The brain has to develop “functional specialization,” integrating thinking, movement, and sensation. As Klemm says, the brain must “Locate each stroke relative to other strokes; learn and remember appropriate size, slant of global form, and feature detail characteristic of each letter; and develop categorization skills.” He highlights cursive writing as even more beneficial because the tasks for each step are more demanding.
6. It May Help Those With Special NeedsAlthough cursive may be difficult for those with dysgraphia or dyslexia, educators have realized cursive could be good exercise in using kinesthetic skills. Both Montessori and Waldorf schools use handwriting as part of their curriculum for its kinesthetic benefits. According to Rand Nelson of Peterson Directed Handwriting, exposure to cursive writing allows a child to overcome motor challenges. Physically gripping a pen and practicing cursive with its swirls and connections “activates parts of the brain that lead to increased language fluency.”
Even those who do suffer from dysgraphia or dyslexia may benefit from the “connected letters and fluid motion” of cursive handwriting.
10. We Can Create Something Beautiful and UniqueCursive may not be required for a signature, but our printed name is so much less unique. Signatures aside, “personal style and ownership” is beneficial to students.
By Jennifer Doverspike
FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Jennifer gives ten reasons why people still need cursive. I really appreciate the following reasons:
3. Our Hands Should Be MultilingualCertainly, it is important for students to know how to type, especially as more schools move toward taking tests via computer. One would think then the concern of students not writing fast enough to compose correctly disappears.
However, research indicates there still is a huge benefit to handwriting. During early childhood, writing letters improves letter recognition, and we use the hand and brain differently when writing than when typing.
4. We Learn Better When We Write It DownEven older children and adults benefit from handwriting. Two psychologists ran studies in which they realized students learn better taking handwritten notes as opposed to typing on a computer—even with Internet distractions disabled.
One reason is writing things down is slow. Therefore, one cannot write down every word a lecturer utters. Instead of a “shallow transcription” process, which requires no critical thinking and doesn’t require your brain to engage the material being presented, the student needs to summarize, use keywords, paraphrase, and perhaps even ask questions for clarification.
5. Handwriting Leads to Cognitive Development, Self-Esteem, and Academic SuccessFailure to create fluency in written script has negative effects on both academic success and self-esteem. Even though typing seems ubiquitous, handwriting is still “the most immediate form of graphic communication.” In addition, no other task taught in school requires as much synchronization as handwriting.
Simply put, handwriting uses more of your brain. The brain has to develop “functional specialization,” integrating thinking, movement, and sensation. As Klemm says, the brain must “Locate each stroke relative to other strokes; learn and remember appropriate size, slant of global form, and feature detail characteristic of each letter; and develop categorization skills.” He highlights cursive writing as even more beneficial because the tasks for each step are more demanding.
6. It May Help Those With Special NeedsAlthough cursive may be difficult for those with dysgraphia or dyslexia, educators have realized cursive could be good exercise in using kinesthetic skills. Both Montessori and Waldorf schools use handwriting as part of their curriculum for its kinesthetic benefits. According to Rand Nelson of Peterson Directed Handwriting, exposure to cursive writing allows a child to overcome motor challenges. Physically gripping a pen and practicing cursive with its swirls and connections “activates parts of the brain that lead to increased language fluency.”
Even those who do suffer from dysgraphia or dyslexia may benefit from the “connected letters and fluid motion” of cursive handwriting.
10. We Can Create Something Beautiful and UniqueCursive may not be required for a signature, but our printed name is so much less unique. Signatures aside, “personal style and ownership” is beneficial to students.
Read Jennifer's full article to discover your favourite reasons ...
theStar.com Schools
In the age of the keyboard, learning penmanship is no longer part of the curriculum, leaving young people stumped when asked for a signature.
“Your signature is your mark. Are we having a whole generation who can’t write their name? How are you supposed to sign cheques — put your fingerprint on a legal document?” ~John Molenaar
In the age of the keyboard, learning penmanship is no longer part of the curriculum, leaving young people stumped when asked for a signature.
“Your signature is your mark. Are we having a whole generation who can’t write their name? How are you supposed to sign cheques — put your fingerprint on a legal document?” ~John Molenaar
Click the button to read more ...
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