MODEL ANSWER | BAND 9.0

A great deal of time, effort and patience is required to develop good handwriting. In this era where most schools use tablets in the classroom, many parents and teachers believe that hand writing has lost its importance. After all when the computers do all the writing, there is no need for children to improve their handwriting. Unfortunately, this is a negative trend and schools that ignore handwriting are doing more harm than good to their students.

Writing is an art that stimulates the brain. Consequently children who write with a pen or pencil tend to have more active and smarter brains. Also when they write with their hands, they have to learn the spelling and grammar. This improves their cognitive as well as language skills. Studies have also demonstrated links between a person’s handwriting and their character. People with good handwriting tend to be more organized and successful. They also tend to possess a greater clarity of thought.

If schools and students ignore this important skill, it may not have any immediate impact on their grades. Unfortunately, these children who cannot write even a single word neatly will eventually face problems that could even hurt their career prospects. To start with, the technology that they depend on may fail them at times. If the network connection fails or their computer breaks down, their efficiency will take a severe backing. For example, many students these days cannot write a letter or draft a report if they do not have access to the internet and a computer. They don’t know the spelling of most words. They cannot write legibly. They do not have ideas either because their critical thinking skills are almost negligible. Whenever they have a question, they just search online and they don’t memorize anything.

To conclude, students can ignore handwriting only at their peril. It is a skill that will stand them in good stead throughout their lives. It is hoped that parents and teachers will realize the importance of handwriting before itgets too late.