The handwriting mistake schools can't afford to make

By Priscilla Roberts

As Australian schools increasingly embrace digital learning, a CQUniversity educational neuroscience expert is warning that one of the most important tools for building children's brains is quietly disappearing from classrooms.

Dr Ragnar Purje, an adjunct senior lecturer at CQUniversity and author of Responsibility Theory®, says the scientific evidence is clear: handwriting is not simply an old-fashioned skill – it is a critical neurological process that helps build the brain for learning.

"Handwriting is not optional," Dr Purje said.

"While typing may be faster and more convenient, decades of research show that handwriting activates the brain in ways technology cannot replicate.

“When children write by hand, they engage fine motor control, memory, visual processing and language systems simultaneously. That creates stronger neural pathways for learning."

Studies have found that handwriting generates more complex patterns of brain activity and neural connectivity than typing.

Dr Purje said that one of the most overlooked aspects of early learning was the development of the tripod grip – the three-finger pencil hold traditionally taught in the early years of primary school.

"The tripod grip is one of the first pieces of educational neuroscience most children experience, even if teachers don't describe it that way.

"Every time a child learns to hold and control a pencil correctly, they are strengthening the connections between movement, language, memory and thinking that support learning throughout life."

Dr Purje said these early motor skills were closely linked to literacy development, helping children recognise, remember and reproduce letters more effectively.

He said handwriting should not be viewed as competing with technology but rather as a fundamental skill that should be mastered before digital tools become dominant.

“If we want children to develop strong cognitive foundations, handwriting must remain a core part of education."

The issue comes as educators across Australia continue to debate the role of screens in classrooms and search for evidence-based approaches to improving literacy outcomes.

Dr Purje believes the conversation should be guided by research rather than convenience.

"The evidence is no longer in doubt.

"The real question is why we would remove a practice that helps children learn, remember and think more effectively."