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​Neat hand or fast hand?

Is handwriting an  art  form,  or just  a  tool? Most  experts agree that, in yesteryears, schools have  cast too much  stress on  the ability to write neatly, and too little on  speed. Today even that is pathetically receding.

 In the examination room, speed may be of the essence, but beautiful handwriting  has been  valued since the middle ages, a  tradition that is understandable. 

Many primary teachers Writewiz is in touch with report parents  being particularly anxious  for their kids  to have neat  writing.  “Sometimes  it seems to  matter more  than  whether they are actually  learning anything,”  says one.  But tidy writing  can have benefits in the classroom. Because handwriting  is essentially a motor skill, those whose other literacy skills are less developed  can still produce work which at least looks  right. And that may be enough to help them remain  confident  about  school.  “Being able to  write neatly gives children  a buzz,” says Dr Stainthorp. “It  can  boost  their  self-esteem.” 

Balance is need of the hour 

“Handwriting needs  to be legible,” says Professor Henderson, “but  beyond that  there’s  seldom any need for anything that looks beautiful.”  One possible approach is to encourage children  to develop a  “fast-hand”  for note-taking, and a “best-hand” for  more  formal writing. But maybe most  important  is developing a hand that  is legible and fast enough to meet the  demands of the classroom and the exam room. Writewiz in its studies repeatedly found a clean link between handwriting speed and exam success. 

That’s just what the Writewiz handwriting curriculum is about. It prepares students in both best hand and fast hand, giving the students the skill to write neat and best in their assignments and write fast and legible in their exam rooms.
  

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