Fact: Recent fMRI research shows that using your hands helps trigger stronger memory for learning. When people write things, they remember them for a longer period of time.
This has some interesting implications for children with reading and spelling difficulties.
We sometimes work with children who are able to catch up to an age-appropriate reading level through Easyread, but then consistently show small errors in their spelling. We use a little game called Tweety that involves writing words in cursive on a tablet or graphics pad, which provides that kinesthetic input for memory retention.
And now there are studies to back up that method. Marilyn Zecher, a former teacher and language specialist at the Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center (ASDEC), says that “cursive can help them… because it integrates hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and other brain and memory functions.”
Find out more here.
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Sarah Forrest is a Reading Specialist for Oxford Learning Solutions, publishers of the Easyread System. Easyread is an innovative online program that helps children with reading difficulties due to dyslexia, weak auditory processing, highly visual learning styles and more. www.easyreadsystem.com
