Why you should give up the keyboard and write by hand

Benefits of handwriting

This is a great brain workout. Handwriting helps children learn to write and memorize letters, formulate ideas, and improve communication skills. This is evidenced by the results of research by scientists Anne Mangen and Jean-Luc Velay from the University of Stavanger in Norway, who confirmed that more parts of the brain work in the process of handwriting compared to typing on the keyboard.

Handwriting is useful not only for children, but also for adults. One of Mangen's experiments involved two groups of people who were tasked with learning a new alphabet of 20 letters. The first group used handwriting and the second used the keyboard. After testing two groups after 6 weeks, it was found that the first group showed better results in memorizing new letters than the second. Hence, it was concluded that handwriting is more effective at improving memory than typing on the keyboard.

What Happens When We Handwrite

When we start to write with a pen, a complex brain process is activated. At this point, a part of the brain called the PCA (regulatory activation system) begins to work, which acts as a filter, helping us to focus on the current task.

We need to know how to hold the handle correctly; think about which letters to use and what shape they are; imagine how they are connected together into words. In general, the process of handwriting includes motor and visual functions. At a higher level, we use the brain to convert knowledge into meaningful images, not to mention the process of memorizing information. Pressing two different keys on the keyboard and perceiving information through the screen does not give such a result, since they activate a completely different process.

Handwritten notes help you learn

Handwriting is an effective learning tool (I think everyone remembers the lecture notes). When we listen to lectures, we remember only 10% of the information. Writing down significantly increases this figure, because during this process, our brain filters and structures information. Today, an increasing number of students are using their computers to take notes (an average of 21% of the total), but the author of the book "How to study in college" Walter Pauk strongly recommends rewriting the text typed on the computer into your notebook after class. For more information on the benefits of writing while studying, see the infographic.

How to improve memory with handwriting

Once we understand how handwriting helps us remember information, each of us can plan for ourselves daily memory training using a pen and notebook. For example:

Do several approaches. Repeating the process will help you remember the information faster.
Write often. You will be able to memorize 70% more if you write over and over for one day, while constant re-reading of the materials will increase your results by only 20%.
Exercise at your most productive time. For example, larks are better off doing this in the morning, when they are still full of energy.
Use memory cards, as they are very effective at memorizing facts, or other alternative formats for printing information on paper.

Personally, with the help of constant writing, I learn new words and phrases of foreign languages (this is the only way I can memorize them for a long time), and also often use this method when working with new information that I need to know.