Reading, Writing & Chocolate: Is Writing Good for You?

Does anyone write by hand anymore?  As a writer, I am equally adept at handwriting or typing out my story ideas given the time availability and proximity to a keyboard. But as a Creative Writing teacher, I have noticed that the physical action of grasping a pen or pencil and writing ideas and thoughts down on paper (instead of keyboarding), makes the process much more deliberate. No spellcheck or accidental deletions to distract from the flow of words. When my students write their stories by hand, they do not have to worry about typefaces or word counts. I just watch them write and something magical happens.

Scientific studies have been published linking writing development and cognitive abilities. The brain receives a signal to "pay attention" as the arm, hand, and fingers work together to put pressure on the pen/pencil to form the letters (and connect them in cursive writing), thereby actively engaging the brain in the entire process. When writing their stories by hand, students choose words more carefully. Students learn to become "wordsmiths." Much like a painter learns to blend colors and create new shades, a wordsmith learns to use words in new ways to fit the emotion and tone of the story.

When children make that motor-cognitive connection in the process of writing stories, they are gaining strengths in many other areas, as well.  In my Creative Writing classes for elementary and middle school students, I see girls and boys building strategic planning and problem solving skills -- how do I get my character from point A to point B?  How do I create clues for the reader without giving away the ending?

Writers learn to be better observers and more attentive listeners. Young writers who are focused on creating characters and building story progression, are more apt to add details in their descriptions, as well as use more colorful language and dialogue. My favorite sound during writing class is the scritch, scritch of pencils across notebook pages -- the only sounds in a room of focused, thoughtful, creative young writers during their writing time. I am privileged to witness the joy and pride on their faces as they read their stories out loud at the end of each class.

As students become better writers, better listeners, and better colleagues, a strong foundation of self-confidence and self-esteem is built and developed along the way. The student who always writes dark, gloomy stories gains the confidence to try humor writing. The student who has never shared stories or poems out loud, gains confidence in reading with expression to a group of supportive peers.

Elementary and middle school students who enjoy Creative Writing are more open to reading books in different genres, more attuned to adding new vocabulary in their day to day writing, and better able to express feelings, opinions and ideas through the written word.

Is writing good for you?  If you ask my Creative Writing students and their parents, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

Kim Kovach is a local author, Creative Writing teacher, and children's librarian. Her new book, DON'T EAT THAT! is available at Little Joe's Books in Katonah. The Spring session of her Creative Writing classes starts April 6th. For more information, stop by the Katonah Village Library or call Kim at 232-1233.