An Interesting Article on the Importance of Handwriting
June 6, 2014
At Forest Bluff School, we are dedicated to helping each child develop beautiful penmanship. As educators with many collective years of experience, we have observed that children in the process of learning to write are doing more than just learning to reproduce letters on paper; they are strengthening the connection between hand and brain and building their intelligence in a unique way that keyboarding simply cannot reproduce. Maria Konnikova, in her New York Times article, "What's Lost as Handwriting Fades," summarizes several recent studies that affirm these observations.
At Forest Bluff School, the Secondary Level is a two-year program for adolescents, in which they continue their self-formation through more rigorous academic study as well experiential learning that includes service and wilderness trips. The Secondary Level has all the hallmarks of a Montessori adolescent program, with a focus on independence, responsibility, self-directed learning, community and collaboration, and practical life skills.
Adapted from a presentation by Upper Elementary teacher Regina Sokolowski See Part I for a discussion of the social goals and unique abilities and characteristics of the elementary child.