Nulla dies sine linea
An experiment for developing and recreating the ability to handwrite
The premise
Handwriting in educational settings has seen changes in practice, culturally and at
social level. In particular, the practice of handwriting is less necessary in daily life
because it has been replaced by other means of communication for sending
messages, making appointments, expressing feelings etc. To this should be added
the effects of the reduction of the ability to coordinate perception and mobility
which corresponds to the substitution of handwriting with the use of a keyboard.
Students can easily be observed holding their pen improperly or having lost the
ability to use characters in script, limiting themselves, in order to write, to the
juxtaposition of capital letters. The problem is already present in primary school,
as famously emerged from the contacts between members of the Laboratory for
Experimental Pedagogy (Laboratorio di Pedagogia sperimentale -LPS) of the
University of Rome Three and teachers. Non-dissimilar problems also transpired
in other countries.
The most relevant consequence of the reduction of the ability to handwrite is that
the diminution of such ability goes beyond strictly technical aspects to invest
overall the ability to express one's thoughts in writing. What derives from this is a
growing discomfort to which are linked negative forecast about the success that
pupils with a reduced ability to handwrite can expect in their later studies.
The hypotheses
The hypotheses formulated are the following:
- that a correlation exists between the practice of handwriting and the quality of
the text produced;
- that handwriting corresponds to a gratifying brain activity;
- that when the ability to handwrite grows, there is a corresponding diminution
of the difficulties which are often interpreted as manifestations of a mental
health disorder;
- that to the practice of handwriting corresponds an overall increase of literal
skills.
The experiment
In order to verify the hypotheses in the field, the hypotheses indicated have taken
contact with two large schools of the region around Rome, the comprehensive
schools Tor de’ Schiavi and Mar dei Caraibi (Ostia). The overall availability of the
classes of third, fourth and fifth grade was requested for a total of at least one hundred
pupils per class. The response from schools was extremely positive. The three groups of
pupils corresponding to the request have in fact exceeded it, since their overall
composition includes a further 380 children. While these were being contacted, a
research group constituted at LPS defined the entire procedure and the necessary
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equipment to conduct these activities. From 13 January until the end of April (with the
possibility to postpone until the first ten days of May in case of unplanned disruptions),
the teachers of the classes would ask the pupils on a daily basis to write a text of four
lines in the third grade, five lines in the fourth grade and six lines in the fifth grade. The
stimuli for the literal production have been accurately programmed to avoid any kind of
opposition (social, religious or gender-related) outside the educational activities. LPS
would provide the schools with the sheets of paper intended for handwriting, together
with instrumental forms (registers, comments, particular case etc.).
The hypothesis of the experiment, as well as the operational conditions, has been
discussed with the teachers and heads of the two schools.
The project
The experiment has been promoted by Prof. Benedetto Vertecchi who has also
formulated the initial maximum hypothesis. A project group was formed at LPS,
which includes, apart from Prof. Vertecchi, Prof. Emma Nardi and Dr. Gabriella
Agrusti, Cinzia Angelini and Antonella Poce. The collaboration of a working group
was added, which is composed of Dr. Teresa Sacchi Lodispoto, Laura Corcione,
Francesca Corradi, Sabrina Trasolini and Dr. Francesco Agrusti and Nader Harb.
Have participated to the experiment
- at the IC Mar dei Caraibi: the school principal, Dr. Lucia Carletti, the teacher Andrea
Rizzi, point of reference for the project activities, and the following teachers: Nadia
Grande (III A – CARAIBI), Donatella Arcuri (III E e III F – CARAIBI), Carmelina
Giorno (III A – SEGURANA), Nicoletta Miraglia (IV A – CARAIBI), Patrizia Mauro
(IV D – CARAIBI), Patrizia Angeluccetti (IV E – CARAIBI), Filomena Mancini (IV F
– CARAIBI), Angela Maria Floris (V A – SEGURANA), Angelica Maria Rita Roberti
(V C – SEGURANA), Franca Palma (V D – SEGURANA);
- at the IC Tor de’ Schiavi: the school principal, Prof. Andrea Caroni and the following
teachers: Ines Di Dio (III A – CECCONI), Anna Quatrini (IV B – CECCONI), Daniela
Napoleoni (IV D – CECCONI), Paola Battarelli (V A – CECCONI), Mariolina Cuppari
(V B – CECCONI), Angela Militello (V C – CECCONI), Maria Vera Caruso (V D –
CECCONI).
Financing
All costs are borne by LPS which discharges them using residual balances from
other projects for a total expenditure which is forecast at approximately 20,000
euro.
Verification, assessment and results
The experiment is subject to a continuous verification process by the project group
and the working group. The state of advancement of the activities is discussed with
the teachers and the heads of the schools involved in the project. The results will
be presented in Rome, in the conference room of the National Museum of Rome at
Palazzo Massimo, on 4 October.
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