Kids to be Taught Typing Instead of Handwriting at Indiana Schools

It has emerged that schools in the US state of Indiana will teach children how to type instead of joined up handwriting from the age of eight.

The move has led to fears that youngsters could grow up not even knowing how to sign their own name.

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According to a memo sent by the Department of Education to schools on April 25, they can continue to teach handwriting if they want, but children will be expected to achieve proficiency with a keyboard.

Local teachers said the effects of technology on handwriting in schools were already apparent and students were "atrocious" at it.

"It's not at the top of the priority list. Teachers are responsible for so many things that handwriting just gets lost," the Telegraph quoted Andree Anderson of the Indiana University urban teacher program, as telling the Times of Munster.

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"There used to be a sense of pride attached to having the best penmanship.

"Students are carrying their texting into their daily writing, and that's not something we want to see. We're seeing acronyms in their writing and that's not acceptable," he added.

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Dr Scott Hamilton, an Indiana clinical psychologist, said it made sense to only teach children how to sign their names in joined up writing.

"The time allocated for cursive instruction could then be devoted to learning keyboarding and typing skills," he said.

"From an intuitive standpoint, this makes sense, based on the increasingly digital world into which this generation of children is growing up," Hamilton added.

Source-ANI