Karin H. James|Laura E. Engelhardt
The effects of handwriting experience on functional brain development in pre-literate children
Indiana University Bloomington|Columbia University|Indiana University Bloomington
age increasing technology possibility typing keyboard replace handwriting raises questions future usefulness handwriting skills present evidence brain activation letter perception influenced different important ways previous handwriting letters versus previous typing tracing letters preliterate fiveyear old children printed typed traced letters shapes shown images stimuli undergoing functional mri scanning previously documented reading circuit recruited letter perception handwritingnot typing tracing experience findings demonstrate handwriting important early recruitment letter processing brain regions known underlie successful reading handwriting therefore may facilitate reading acquisition young children