Wall Street Journal

April 4, 2016

Researchers at Princeton University and the University of California at Los Angeles have found that students who write notes by hand generally perform better than students who type notes, according to the Wall Street Journal. Benefits to taking handwritten notes include the ability to learn better, retain information longer, and more readily grasp new ideas. Cognitive psychologist Michael Friedman at Harvard University, who studies note-taking systems, was quoted as saying, “Note-taking is a pretty dynamic process. You are transforming what you hear in your mind.”

PartnershipUs understands the relationship between handwriting and learning. Through our Literacy Through Letters program, we encourage students to write by hand instead of electronically so they can learn better and be more successful in school. The program’s handwriting exercises, such as writing letters and journaling, build their confidence in reading and improves their reading ability. As the writing exercises help improve the reading skills of students, they begin to recognize that their reading ability and intelligence will grow as they study more and persevere through challenging schoolwork. This awareness changes the mindset of students. It encourages them to use more effort and better learning strategies, which ultimately improves their grades. This finding aligns with scientific research within the Mindset Scholars Network at Stanford University and points to the effectiveness of our program.

Please donate today to help PartnershipUs continue helping our children change their mindsets and instilling a desire to learn both inside and outside of the classroom.