I love to get cards and letters in the mail, don’t you? There’s just something truly special about a handwritten note that really brightens my day. When we were homeschooling, I wanted my kids to understand and appreciate the value of handwriting, so we wrote letters to family and friends as a regular part of our language arts lessons.
The simple act of writing a letter is so much more than a lesson in handwriting though; there are practical and educational benefits that will serve your kids far into the future. So let’s take a closer look at the ways in which letter writing can benefit your kids.
Stimulates the Brain
Writing a simple friendly letter might seem simple but the process actually activates more regions of your child’s brain than when typing on a keyboard. Karin James, professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University, discovered that when children write by hand, the process activates the regions in the brain responsible for reading, language, and memory. When these regions are all working at the same time, learning is boosted.Engages the Body
Children use fine motor skills to grasp and control the pencil. The larger muscles in the neck, shoulders, torso, hips, and legs as well as the foot muscles work together to help keep the body in a stable position.
