Handwriting in the media

Handwriting in the media:

"You do not learn to do handwriting like you learn how to talk. You need instruction," Jan Olsen said. "With the investment, good handwriting becomes a habit, like shoe-tying."- Kameel Stanley, The Washington Post, September 2, 2008 

" The truth is that mastering handwriting sets children up for other learning successes. Handwriting builds confidence, teaches children to have an organized approach and enhances their ability to communicate." - Jan Olsen, Curious Parents, February 2008

"Failure to attain handwriting competency during the school-age years often has far-reaching negative effects on both academic success and self-esteem…Studies of handwriting remediation suggest that intervention is effective. There is evidence to indicate that handwriting difficulties do not resolve without intervention and affect between 10 and 30% of school-aged children. Despite the widespread use of computers, legible handwriting remains an important life skill that deserves greater attention from educators and health practitioners." - Katya P. Feder PhD OT(C) Annette Majnemer PhD OT(C), Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, April 2007

"Illegible handwriting is found to have secondary 

effects on achievement and self-esteem. " 

-Malloy-Miller, Canadian Journal of 

Occupational Therapy  

Research from Vanderbilt University  demonstrates that a "majority of primary-school teachers believe that students with fluent handwriting produced written assignments that were superior in quantity and quality and resulted in higher grades—aside from being easier to read. The College Board recognized this in 2005 when it added a handwritten essay to the SAT—an effort to reverse the de-emphasis on handwriting and composition that may be adversely affecting children's learning all the way through high school and beyond." – By Raina Kelley, Newsweek, Nov 12, 2007 Issue

"Research shows that children with good handwriting skills at a young age can express their thoughts better than those who don't. And those good habits can pay off later."-WABC, Friday, November 17, 2006