Handwriting vs Typing: What Science Says About How Kids Learn
Tablets and keyboards are everywhere, even in the hands of very young children. So is writing by hand still worth practising? Recent research says yes – and it gives parents a few useful clues about how to practise.
What happens in the brain when we write by hand
Researchers Van der Weel and Van der Meer at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) recorded the brain activity of young adults with a 256-electrode EEG cap while they either wrote words by hand or typed them. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, found that handwriting activated wider and more interconnected brain networks than typing – especially in areas involved in movement, the senses and higher-level thinking.
The researchers explain this by the fact that handwriting combines vision, precise finger movements and touch at the same time. The participants were adults, so the results can't automatically be applied to children – but they help explain why writing by hand is such a rich exercise for the brain.
And in young children?
A 2025 study in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology (Ibaibarriaga, Acha and Perea) followed 50 children aged about five, in their last year of kindergarten, who could not yet read. Over three sessions they learned new letters and made-up words in one of four ways: copying by hand, tracing, or typing on a keyboard (with one font or several).
The children who practised by hand – copying or tracing – named and wrote letters more accurately, and read and spelled the new words better than those who typed. Freehand copying gave the best results of all, particularly when writing from dictation. The groups were small and only short-term learning was measured, but the authors recommend keeping handwriting at the centre of early literacy.
How to put it into practice at home
- Trace first, then copy. Tracing helps children learn the shape and direction of each letter. Once it feels familiar, ask them to copy it freehand on paper.
- Short and often. Ten minutes a day is easier to keep up than one long session at the weekend.
- Say it out loud. Ask your child to say the letter or word while writing it, to link sound and shape.
- Mix letters, numbers and drawing. Variety keeps motivation high and trains the same fine-motor skills.
- Praise the effort, not perfection. Wobbly letters are part of learning.
Where the Magic Copybook fits in
The EUROROX™ Magic Practice Copybook is designed for that first step: guided tracing of letters, numbers, maths and drawing. The ink disappears by itself, so your child can repeat the same page as many times as needed without using up paper. When a letter feels easy, move on to copying it freehand on a sheet of paper – the same progression the research points to.