Writing by hand makes children better at learning, study says.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools around the world to close and screen time to rise, the EU Kids Online 2020 survey showed smartphone and internet use by children in 19 EU countries had increased exponentially in a decade. Some nations reported children spending well over three hours a day on screens. Countries including Finland, Norway and the United States have dropped cursive or joined-up writing lessons in recent years, in favour of typing classes, to help children learn digital skills. Professor van der Meer says while digital learning is important, it is “vital to maintain handwriting practice in school”, as it creates a vibrant platform for learning. “An optimal learning environment needs to include the best from all disciplines, considering the strengths and support each of them offer. This way, both cognitive development and learning efficiency can be strengthened, and pupils and students of all ages and their teachers can keep up with the technological development and digital challenges to come." In the UK, there’s encouraging research around the benefit of soft skills in helping the next generation of workers.