Typing vs Handwriting: Do Kids Still Need Both?

Every few months, another headline pops up: "Schools Drop Cursive!" or "Kids Can't Sign Their Names!" And parents start wondering - in a world of kids typing and touchscreens, does handwriting even matter anymore?

Let me give you the honest answer: yes, but maybe not for the reasons you think.

The Case for Handwriting

Here's what research actually shows about handwriting (not just what nostalgic adults believe):

Better memory retention. When you write by hand, you process information differently than when typing. Students who take handwritten notes remember more than those who type. It's not about the notes themselves - it's about how the brain encodes the information.

Fine motor development. The precise movements required for handwriting develop neural pathways that benefit kids in other areas too. It's like physical therapy for little hands.

Creativity and thinking. Something about the slower pace of handwriting seems to help with brainstorming and creative thinking. Many writers still draft by hand before typing.

The Case for Typing

But here's the thing - typing tales and keyboard skills have their own serious benefits:

Speed and efficiency. Once kids master story typing, they can get their thoughts down way faster than by hand. This matters A LOT for timed tests, longer assignments, and just keeping up with their own thinking.

Editing and revision. Typed work is infinitely easier to edit. Kids who type are more willing to revise because it doesn't mean rewriting everything.

Real-world preparation. Like it or not, most communication happens on keyboards now. Email, messaging, documents, coding - typing stories now translates to typing everything later.

So... Both?

Yeah, basically. The good news is it's not actually an either/or situation. Kids can (and should) learn both.

Here's how I'd think about it:

• Handwriting for: Note-taking, journaling, brainstorming, creative drafts, signatures, short personal messages
• Typing for: Longer writing assignments, final drafts, communication, schoolwork, research

They serve different purposes. It's like asking "should kids learn to ride bikes OR walk?" Both! They're different tools for different situations.

What About Cursive?

Okay, real talk - cursive is mostly optional at this point. It's nice if kids can read it (for historical documents and grandma's letters), but writing in cursive? Not really necessary.

If you want your kid to learn cursive, go for it. But don't stress about it at the expense of either print handwriting OR typing skills.

Our Take

At TypingTales, we obviously think kids typing skills are important - that's literally what we do! But we don't think typing should replace handwriting.

We think typing should JOIN handwriting as a fundamental skill. Kids need both tools in their toolkit.

The difference is that schools typically teach handwriting but often neglect proper typing instruction. That's where typing tales comes in - filling that gap in a way that kids actually enjoy.

So keep having your kids practice their handwriting. And also let them build typing skills with story typing adventures. Their future selves will thank you for both.