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April 30, 2025 – University of the Basque Country
A new study from the University of the Basque Country has found that children who learn to read and write by practicing handwriting outperform those who use keyboards, highlighting the enduring importance of pencil and paper in early literacy development.
The Study: Handwriting vs. Typing
With digital devices increasingly present in classrooms, many children are now learning to read and write through computer-based programs. To assess the impact of this shift, researchers led by Joana Acha conducted an experiment with 50 children aged 5 to 6, a critical period for acquiring reading and writing skills.
The children were taught nine unfamiliar letters from the Georgian and Armenian alphabets, along with 16 invented pseudowords. Half the group practiced by copying the letters and words by hand, while the other half used keyboards. This approach allowed researchers to isolate the effects of “graphomotor function”-the hand movements involved in forming letters.
Key Findings: Manual Practice Leads to Better Learning
After training, the children were tested on their ability to identify, write, and pronounce both the new letters and pseudowords. The results were clear: those who practiced by hand showed significantly greater skill, especially in tasks involving the pseudowords. According to Acha, “Our work confirms that the graphomotor function is essential in memorizing letters and word structures.”
The Role of Variability in Learning
The study also examined the effect of variability in practice. Some children writing by hand followed dotted guides (low variability), while others copied freely on blank pages (high variability). Similarly, keyboard users either used a single font or multiple fonts. The best results came from the group that practiced freehand, suggesting that once children can manage basic movements, unstructured practice is most beneficial.
Implications for Education
The findings suggest that while technology can be a helpful supplement, manual handwriting should remain central to early literacy instruction. “They learn best from hand movements, and so technological devices should only be used in a complementary way,” Acha emphasized.
Reference
The full study, “The impact of handwriting and typing practice in children’s letter and word learning: Implications for literacy development,” was published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on materials provided by the University of the Basque Country and a summary published on ScienceDaily (April 30, 2025). The information may have been edited for clarity and length. The findings represent the results of a specific study and may not be universally applicable. For more details, consult the original research publication.
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