Commentary
During the school year, first- and second-grade students at Hume Elementary in Nelson, British Columbia, learned how to handwrite. Some became so good at it they won awards in national handwriting contests.
However, Hume Elementary is the exception rather than the rule in B.C. While cursive writing used to be mandatory in B.C. schools, it has now been downgraded to an optional novelty. Few schools expect teachers to teach students how to handwrite, and fewer still make it a central focus like Hume Elementary. That’s unfortunate. Students who never learn how to handwrite are missing out on important learning opportunities.
In reality, there are many benefits from learning how to handwrite. Hetty Roessingh, professor emeritus at the University of Calgary and an expert in language and literacy, conducted significant research on handwriting throughout her academic career. In one study, she found that handwriting assists young students to recognize letter shapes and plays a fundamental role in their development as readers.
In other words, students are more likely to learn their letters at a younger age if they practise handwriting. That’s because writing letters by hand activates the brain considerably more than simply pushing buttons on a keyboard. It also helps transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory.
Researchers have discovered similar results in adults. For example, a 2025 report published in the journal Life (Basel) synthesized the findings of 30 peer-reviewed journal articles comparing the brain activity of adults when they were handwriting to when they typed letters on a keyboard. They found that handwriting activates a broader network of brain regions while typing resulted in more passive cognitive engagement. In other words, the brain is more active when handwriting than when typing
Thus, students in all schools, not just those at Hume Elementary, would benefit from learning how to handwrite. When school resumes in September, principals and teachers should look at how they can bring back this important skill to help all students learn more effectively.
While provincial politicians might want to take the lead, they should avoid the temptation to micromanage schools. The role of the province is to set the learning standards for all students, put appropriate measurement tools in place, and hold schools accountable for their results. Once those standards are in place, it’s up to teachers to figure out how to meet them.
For example, B.C. requires all students to write standardized tests at several different grade levels so that their reading, math, and writing skills can be objectively assessed. This creates an opportunity for the provincial government to promote handwriting without micromanaging schools. If at least a portion of the current Grade 4 Foundation Skills Assessment in B.C. had to be completed using handwriting, teachers and principals would get the message that students must learn how to handwrite.
In addition, the fact that handwriting helps students learn their letters means that they are also likely to become better readers. This is yet another reason why handwriting should be taught in every school.
Critics argue that handwriting is as obsolete as the dodo bird. But they are wrong. Whether you’re signing a legal document, deciphering an old handwritten letter in your drawer, or even just taking notes during a university lecture, there are plenty of times where handwriting comes in handy.
Incidentally, research shows that students who take notes by hand are more likely to remember the material than students who type their notes on a laptop. Again, writing notes by hand activates the brain more than typing letters on a keyboard. Thus, if you want to remember something, write it down by hand. Don’t just type it out.
In short, all B.C. students, and indeed all students across Canada, should learn how to handwrite. Instead of looking at handwriting as a curious novelty, it should be recognized as a fundamental skill. It shouldn’t be left up to a handful of individual teachers to keep handwriting alive. Principals and superintendents would do well to consider how they can ensure that all students learn how to handwrite
Michael Zwaagstra is a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
