The Death of Handwriting

Reading a post by Jason Kottke about the death of the pencil, I began to think. BBC, March 2008:

One in three children struggle with their handwriting and almost one in five slip into text message language when they do put pen to paper, according to a recent survey.

More apparently the death of spelling.

It is hardly surprising that many children growing up in an age where instant messages have replaced handwritten notes to friends, will struggle when they take up a pen.

I can't remember the last time I wrote anything worthwhile with pen and paper. Certainly it hasn't been since I started at university.

Information officer at the National Handwriting Association Suzanne Tibertius says children who have not had the chance to develop their fine motor skills before school often struggle with handwriting. But can we blame the demise of handwriting wholly on children's increased reliance on technology and a lack of outside play?

Simply, No.

"And there's a generation of young teachers who were never taught how to teach handwriting."

That's for damn sure (experience).