Remember those agonizing days in elementary school of learning how to (and be forced to) write in cursive? Only for the majority of us to never use it again later in life… Well, turns out writing in flowing, cursive handwriting actually helps our brains in many ways. Time to put down the phone and start practicing your fancy script again!
Cursive Enhances Your Concentration
Writing in cursive helps our thoughts to stay connected and on topic. In fact, in the United States a study found students who wrote in cursive on the SAT college entrance exam actually scored higher than those who wrote in normal print. The theory behind this advantage is that students who wrote with the flowing letters didn’t have to use extra effort and time by writing in print, thereby having more time to concentrate on the content of their writing.
Activates More Parts Of Your Brain
When compared to typing or writing in normal print, writing in cursive has been found to activate more parts of the brain. Additionally, when people read in cursive, more neurological pathways of both left and right hemispheres in the brain work together, than reading regular manuscript. This enables you to understand and retain learned content better.
Helps You Become A Better Speller
When writing in cursive, you are naturally learning to form words in which each letter is connected. This in turn creates associations and connections in the brain, helping you to remember the proper spelling of words. This is super helpful, especially when you consider how bad spell check can be sometimes…
Fine Tunes Your Motor Skills
To be legible, cursive requires lots of practice using fine motor skills. These skills work the small muscles in our hands so that we can do daily activities, like buttoning a shirt, grabbing items, and feeding ourselves with much more ease. You might not be worried about losing these functions at this point in your life, but it can’t hurt to keep them skilled for lifelong self sufficiency and a great mind too!
Photos: Freepik