Over the holidays, I got to see my now almost grown niece and nephews wield their touch screens and Twitter accounts in ways far beyond my middle aged comprehension, to the point where I asked: do these kids even need to know how to use pen and paper any more?
Turns out the answer is a surprising "Yes, yes they do."
The personal intimacy of the handwritten note is what we love, but the Wall Street Journal reports it's way beyond that. You see, writing something down by hand lights up larger areas of the brain than typing or speaking it. Something to do with having to remember and write individual pen strokes, which activates thinking and language centers.
In other words, if you write it down you're more likely to remember it. Studies show it seems to help kids learn faster. And what's more, good penmanship still matters. One study showed good looking, easy to-read handwriting can mean a better grades for a medicore exam while illegible writing --- well...
Now let's be real, back at Keene Elmentary they would tell you little Derek McGinty's handwriting was simply terrible and I can tell you it's no better with age. But now, I think I oughta thank my third grade teacher Mrs. Wilburn for doing the best she could.