Crooked Handwriting of Elementary Students Boosts Concentration and Confidence in 4 Weeks... EBS1 Documentary on the 31st

EBS Docuprime 'Is Your Handwriting Okay?' will be broadcast on EBS1 on Monday, August 31, at 9:55 PM. This documentary examines the reality of children losing opportunities to write by hand amidst the spread of smart devices and artificial intelligence, and seeks the meaning of handwriting and future educational directions through the voices of neuroscientists, child educators, speech therapists, poets, and teachers.

Increasing 'Bad Handwriting', Is Children's Handwriting Safe?

According to the production team, the number of elementary school students seeking academies to correct their uneven and crooked bad handwriting is increasing every year. Cases appear where teachers cannot recognize handwriting in descriptive exams, resulting in incorrect answers, or students cannot read their own writing during presentation time. The production team explains that bad handwriting habits not corrected in childhood can affect obtaining certifications or employment exams even after becoming adults. Professor Choi Na-ya of the Department of Child Development and Family Studies at Seoul National University identifies ages 3 to 6 as a critical period for fine motor skill development and emphasizes the importance of hand activities during this period. Professor Lee In-ah of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at Seoul National University says that since unused physical functions degenerate, consistent experience in writing is necessary.

Transcription Project and the Efficacy of Handwriting

The production team visited an elementary school in Seoul that has continued handwriting education for new students for four weeks, covering the process of teaching everything from how to hold a pencil to the size and position of consonants and vowels. A teacher at this school explains that handwriting is the foundation of all learning and the basis for a confident school life. Furthermore, they conducted a 'Transcription Project' with 6th-grade elementary students, where they copied books for one hour every day for four weeks; it was found that most participating students experienced not only handwriting correction but also improvements in concentration, memory, and self-efficacy. In an experiment where adults in the pre-dementia stage were made to write by hand for a month, changes in cognitive function were observed, and one man diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment stated that his memory improved after handwriting practice, reducing inconveniences in daily life.

In the program, six current elementary, middle, and high school teachers who have continued handwriting education will appear in the studio to convey the importance of correct handwriting and the correction methods they have each developed. A high school teacher in Gyeonggi-do introduced that they provide time for consolation and contemplation to students by arranging transcription activities during morning self-study time. Poet Na Tae-joo, a former elementary school principal, delivers the message that a person's thoughts and soul are contained in their handwriting.

The broadcast will be aired on EBS1 on Monday, August 31, at 9:55 PM, and can be rewatched on the EBS website.

Source: EBS Press Release

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