Could chalk and slate be the answer to better writing in Australian classrooms?
As handwriting returns to the NAPLAN spotlight, an education academic from CQUniversity is proposing a surprisingly simple way to give young children a stronger start in writing – chalk and slate.
Could one of the most effective tools for teaching children to write be something that has all but disappeared from modern classrooms?
With Australian education ministers agreeing that Year 5 NAPLAN writing tests will return to pen and paper from 2028, Dr Ragnar Purje believes it is time to look further back – to the humble chalk stick and handheld slate.
He argues that introducing chalk and slate into Prep and Year 1 classrooms could help children develop the all-important foundational skills needed to become confident, capable writers.
The proposal comes amid renewed concern about children's writing abilities, with the 2026 NAPLAN results showing a slight increase since 2023 in the proportion of students needing additional support in writing.
Dr Purje believes the conversation should extend beyond how students are assessed to how they are taught to write in the first place.
"Writing is not simply a matter of putting words on a page. It is a complex skill involving the brain, body, eyes and hands, as well as the holistic development of fine and gross motor coordination.
"We cannot expect children to become accomplished writers without first teaching them the physical skills that underpin handwriting.
"Chalk and slate offer a simple, practical and inexpensive way to introduce these skills, allowing children to practise, make mistakes, erase and try again."
Dr Purje argues that handwriting needs to be explicitly taught through demonstration, modelling and regular practice.
He highlights the importance of developing the correct tripod grip – holding a writing implement between the thumb and index finger, supported by the middle finger – as a foundation for efficient handwriting.
As children become more proficient at forming and understanding letters, they can devote less mental effort to handwriting and more to composing complex sentences, developing stories and expressing higher-order ideas.
"Once handwriting becomes automatic, children have greater capacity to focus on what they want to say, rather than concentrating solely on how to form the letters," he said.
"Writing, erasing and writing again is not wasted effort. It is how children practise, improve and develop confidence in their abilities. Repetition is one of the keys to knowledge."
Dr Purje is not suggesting schools abandon computers or other digital learning tools. Rather, he believes technology should complement, not displace, the foundational teaching of handwriting.
There are also practical advantages. Chalk does not dry out and can continue to be used even when broken, offering a low-cost alternative to disposable whiteboard markers and reducing classroom plastic waste.
With writing once again on the national education agenda, Dr Purje believes it is time to reconsider whether some of the simplest yet increasingly overlooked teaching tools could offer significant advantages.
"Perhaps we need to stop looking to increased technology use to solve every educational challenge and rediscover the value of getting the fundamentals right.
“As coaches are noted to say when problems arise, it’s time to get back to the basics.
"Sometimes, the way forward begins with a piece of chalk, a small slate and the opportunity for a child to write, erase, practise and repeat."
