Handwriting Practice Enhances Early Literacy Development, Study Finds

A study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) found that handwriting helps children learn letters and word structures better than typing, Earth.com reported. Researchers tested 50 children aged 5 to 6, teaching them nine unfamiliar letters from the Georgian and Armenian alphabets and sixteen made-up pseudowords. Half practiced by writing with pencils, while the other half typed on keyboards.

Children who wrote by hand performed better in identifying, writing, and pronouncing letters and pseudowords. The physical act of forming letters—called the graphomotor function—proved essential for memorization. Those who typed struggled more, especially with pseudowords.

The study also showed that freeform handwriting led to better learning than tracing dotted letters, suggesting children should move from tracing to independent writing.

Lead researcher Joana Acha emphasized that handwriting should remain central in early education, with technology used only as a complement. The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.