America's fight to save handwriting from extinction as IQs slowly fall

[Malcolm]

America's fight to save handwriting from extinction as IQs slowly fall
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-13273363/handwriting-extinction-IQs-begin-fall.html

Several US states are trying to prevent handwriting from going extinct as classrooms increasingly swap pen and paper for tablets and computers. The US government removed the skill from the core curriculum in 2010 due to claims it was time consuming and would not be useful in the age of technology which meant schools could instead focus on typing classes. Handwriting is considered a fine motor skill that stimulates and challenges the brain, but with schools turning to technology instead, some teachers are complaining students can barely hold a pencil but can swipe and double-click on their devices.
tudents with learning disabilities like dysgraphia - when children can read but have trouble writing letters - can also be affected because methods of overcoming the disability requires them to practice writing by hand. Previous studies have revealed that IQ scores have dropped for the first time in a century and indicated that technology could be to blame. Teachers, parents and experts who DailyMail.com spoke to said they were seeing kids and young adults who don't know how to sign their name or read cursive.

New legislative bills have been passed in states like California and New York requiring students aged six to 12 years old to learn cursive writing , but others are still advancing in state legislature while some are still hesitant to revert back including Colorado , New Mexico and Nevada . 'I wish [students] would learn how to write in cursive,' Tracy Bendish, an ABA autism therapist for Jefferson Public Schools told DailyMail.com. 'But it is like the telephone on the wall,' she said. 'Less and less used and then not there anymore.' There is a big educational disparity between schools that readily have access to gadgets versus those that don't, causing what's called the digital divide.

Students who have better access to technology will have better educational success than those who don't, which is particularly concerning as more teachers turn to technology in their courses. 'The digital divide has affected individual students in the same school as well as groups of students across districts, lowering the academic outcomes of low-income, underserved students and districts,' according to American University . Last year, researchers at the University of Oregon and Northwestern reported that IQ scores had dropped because technology shortens attention spans and decreases the need to think deeply.

Experts have been urging governments and school administrators to bring handwriting back to schools, citing sixth graders who have trouble holding a pencil but can use digital devices with ease. Dr. Lori Koerner, the assistant superintendent for the Riverhead Central School District in New York, told DailyMail.com that it is essential for elementary and middle schoolers to be taught cursive. 'Though technology has its benefits, children need to be able to read cursive in the event a document is presented to them along their journey. 'They most certainly, at the very least, need to know how to sign their name,' Koerner said.

'I have encountered too many secondary students and employment candidates who cannot sign documents relative to their onboarding process.' Teachers and coworkers continue to struggle with ineligible handwriting, and a 2021 survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Bic USA Inc. found that 45 percent of Americans struggle to read their own handwriting while a shocking 70 percent reported that they have trouble reading notes or reports from their coworkers. Some people have expressed similar views, saying that signing important documents will become a stressful practice without the ability to write cursive. 'My 20 year-old-granddaughter struggles to sign a check,' said Kimberly Jacovino of Monroe, Connecticut. 'It is very important and should be brought back to all schools,' she added.

In the wake of turning to keyboarding instead of writing by hand, educators found students' IQ levels are shrinking and placed the blame on technology in the classroom, Psychology Today reported. Hetty Roessingh, a professor emerita of education at the University of Calgary echoed this sentiment, saying that five-year-olds are not meeting academic benchmarks because of the accessibility of digital devices. Roessingh has long advocated for schools to push handwriting and cursive on children because it is an important tool to engage the hand-brain complex and circuitry that induces memory and retrieving information that typing simply doesn't do. A new study published in February by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) found that handwriting is linked to increased cognitive brain function, motor skills and memory.

'It is important to realize that the brain follows the principle of 'use it or lose it,' said Audrey van der Meer, the study's lead author and neuropsychology professor at the NTNU. 'When writing by hand, most of the brain is active,' she continued. 'This requires the brain to communicate between its active parts which, in turn, puts the brain in a state that helps both children and adults learn more and remember better,' van der Meer said. Schools stopped teaching cursive in 2010 when most US states adopted what's called Common Core State Standards , which set benchmarks for reading and math but didn't include cursive as part of the recommended curriculum. At the time, critics said teaching efforts would be better spent on developing new skills like coding and keyboarding while others called the writing style 'old fashioned.'

When dropping cursive from common core, lawmakers argued that cursive was time-consuming and wouldn't be as useful as other skills like typing, that students would need at they moved on to junior and high school,' a then-spokesperson for Georgia Department of Education told ABC News at the time. Cursive also wasn't on the tests that ranked schools under the No Child Left Behind Law which was put in place by the Bush Administration in 2002 and ended in 2015. Schools would typically gear their learning curriculum around what was required under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which set benchmarks for academic performance that all schools had to meet. If they continuously failed to meet the NCLB standards, the state had the right to change the school's leadership team or even close the school.

Forty-one states adopted the common core curriculum and while individually they were able to choose to teach cursive, California and Massachusetts were among the few states to opt in. Roughly six years later, 14 states reintroduced the writing style into all classes, and by 2019, that number grew to 20 states. Democratic assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva introduced a bill in California last year, citing the need for students to not only be able to write in cursive but to read it as well. The California bill will go into effect for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year but similar bills are still pending in states like Kentucky where, if it's passed, would be implemented in the 2025-2026 academic year.

The push is also in response to the ever-increasing artificial intelligence technology, which Quirk-Silva believed will cause teachers to return to handwritten essay exams necessitating students' ability to write in cursive because it is faster than print. If handwriting becomes extinct, it would be a major loss to understanding history or connecting with our past, Roessingh said. 'It is about the embodied cognition and the circuitry behind personal messages that are beneficial both for the person who wrote it and the person who read it,' she said. Handwriting, particularly cursive, presents the idea of what's called embodied cognition, meaning it acts as a switch to lock in your memory. This makes it increasingly important for kids to write by hand and learn cursive because they are 'essentially tactile and sensory beings who take in the world through engagement,' Roessingh explained.

More than that, a piece of history could be lost to younger generations who aren't taught to read and write cursive, leaving them unable to read major historical documents like the diary of Anne Franke, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Chelsea Hayes, a Maryland mom, said regardless of what schools decide, she plans on making sure her three-year-old daughter knows how to write in cursive when she gets older. 'I do think it's important. Not just for historical purposes, but also just as a skill. I think it's almost like learning another language,' Hayes said. 'You don't teach kids art or music because of history, though I guess there's a historical component you can put in there. 'It's just another skill I think she should have. If she never uses it, oh well. If she does, great.'

 

[Malcolm]

35 Smartest Countries with the Highest IQ in the World

35. Russia

National IQ Score: 96.29

Russia is the world’s largest country by area. With a national IQ score of 96.29, Russia ranks among the top 35 smartest countries with the highest IQ in the world.

34. Slovakia

National IQ Score: 96.32

Slovakia is a landlocked country in Central Europe. According to a recent study, Slovakia has a national IQ score of 96.32.

33. Poland

National IQ Score: 96.35

Poland is a country in Central Europe that has a national IQ score of 96.35. It also shares a border with Slovakia.

32. France

National IQ Score: 96.69

France is a country in Western Europe that is known for fashion, food, culture, wine, and the Eiffel Tower. France has a national IQ score of 96.69.

31. Sweden

National IQ Score: 97

Sweden is a Scandinavian nation in Northern Europe. Dominated by forests and many lakes, Sweden is known for its picturesque landscapes as well as a successful welfare program. It has a national IQ score of 97.

30. Norway

National IQ Score: 97.13

Norway is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe that shares a border with Sweden. Norway is home to beautiful mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords. With a national IQ score of 97.13, it ranks among the top 30 smartest countries with the highest IQ in the world.

29. United States

National IQ Score: 97.43

The United States is one of the most well-known countries in the world. Home to many cultural icons and many iconic landmarks, the US is the third largest country in the world by area. The US has a national IQ score of 97.43.

28. Belgium

National IQ Score: 97.49

Belgium is a country in Western Europe that is known for Renaissance architecture and medieval towns. As one of the most intelligent countries, it has a national IQ score of 97.49.

27. Denmark

National IQ Score: 97.83

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. With a national IQ score of 97.83, Denmark ranks 27th on our list of smartest countries with the highest IQ in the world.

26. Iceland

National IQ Score: 98.26

Iceland is a Nordic island nation between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. It is defined by its dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, lava fields, and national parks. Iceland has a national IQ score of 98.26.

25. Austria

National IQ Score: 98.38

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Lying in the Eastern Alps, it is known for its mountain ranges, castles, palaces, and other architectural works. With a national IQ score of 98.38, Austria ranks among the top 25 smartest countries with the highest IQ in the world.

24. New Zealand

National IQ Score: 98.57

New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean that consists of two main islands and more than 700 smaller islands. New Zealand has a national IQ score of 98.57.

23. Slovenia

National IQ Score: 98.6

Slovenia is a country in Central Europe that is known for its mountains, lakes, ski resorts and beautiful landscapes. Slovenia has a national IQ score of 98.6.

22. North Korea

National IQ Score: 98.82

North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia that constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is a highly centralized totalitarian state and maintains a large military. According to a recent study, North Korea has a national IQ score of 98.82.

21. Greenland

National IQ Score: 98.89

Greenland is an autonomous country between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. While it is geographically a part of the North American continent, it has been politically and culturally associated with Europe. Greenland has a national IQ score of 98.89.

20. United Kingdom

National IQ Score: 99.12

The United Kingdom, in Northwestern Europe, ranks among the top 20 on our list of smartest countries with the highest IQ in the world. According to a recent study, the United Kingdom has a national IQ score of 99.12.

19. Switzerland

National IQ Score: 99.24

Switzerland is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is known for its diverse landscapes, numerous lakes, and the high peaks of the Alps. Switzerland has a national IQ score of 99.24.

18. Hungary

National IQ Score: 99.24

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe that is known for its beautiful landscapes and natural resources. As one of the smartest countries by IQ, Hungary has a national IQ score of 99.24.

17. Australia

National IQ Score: 99.24

Australia is a country in Oceania comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It also ranks among the most advanced countries in education. Australia has a national IQ score of 99.24.

16. Canada

National IQ Score: 99.52

Canada is the world’s second-largest country by area. According to a recent study, Canada has a national IQ score of 99.52.

15. Cambodia

National IQ Score: 99.75

Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia that ranks among the top 15 on our list of smartest countries with the highest IQ in the world. Cambodia has a national IQ score of 99.75.

14. Macau

National IQ Score: 99.82

Macau, also spelled as Macao, is a city-state on the South coast of China. Home to giant casinos and malls, it is known as “the Las Vegas of Asia”. Macau has a national IQ score of 99.82.

13. Luxembourg

National IQ Score: 99.87

Luxembourg is a small landlocked country in Western Europe. It is surrounded by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a national IQ score of 99.87.

12. Estonia

National IQ Score: 100.72

Estonia is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. With a national IQ score of 100.72, Estonia ranks among the top 12 smartest countries with the highest IQ in the world.

11. Netherlands

National IQ Score: 100.74

The Netherlands, also known as Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe that is known for its canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. The Netherlands has a national IQ score of 100.74.

10. Germany

National IQ Score: 100.74

Germany is a country in the western region of Central Europe that ranks among the top 10 on our list of smartest countries with the highest IQ in the world. Germany has a national IQ score of 100.74.

9. Liechtenstein

National IQ Score: 101.07

Liechtenstein is a small landlocked state in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. It is one of the world’s smallest countries. Liechtenstein has a national IQ score of 101.07.

8. Finland

National IQ Score: 101.2

Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. With a national IQ score of 101.2, it ranks among the top smartest countries by IQ. Finland is also considered to be one of the most educated and safest countries.

7. Belarus

National IQ Score: 101.6

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe that is known for its forests and lakes. According to a recent study, Belarus has a national IQ score of 101.6.

6. South Korea

National IQ Score: 102.35

South Korea is a country in East Asia on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. With a national IQ score of 102.35, South Korea ranks high among the countries with the highest IQ scores in the world.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Smartest Countries with the Highest IQ in the World.

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Disclosure: None. 35 Smartest Countries with the Highest IQ in the World is published on Insider Monkey.