Handwriting is a means of expressing language, just like speech. However, handwriting is not taught in school as much as in previous years. In the past, handwriting was taught as a precursor to reading and spelling. Today, the writing skills of students of all ages are rigorously tested, but they are not given the time needed to develop this skill. I remember writing in a Big Chief notebook, holding a chubby pencil, doing my best to make the curves and lines of the letters perfect. When I was in elementary school, the teacher spent at least forty-five minutes a day on handwriting. Handwriting should still be taught in school because it is an essential first step in reading and expressing one's thoughts and feelings, and because of its impact on higher education. Writing is related to spelling and reading because reading depends on letter recognition. Students become familiar with letters through writing. When a student manipulates the curves and lines of letters, he or she uses sight and touch, which strengthens memory of letter shapes. Learning about letters also promotes curiosity about their sounds. Sound and hearing come into play as the student begins to sound out letters and words. As they write, students learn that print is actually an ordered sequence of letters, rather than a random jumble. If a child does not learn to recognize letters and words immediately, he or she will have a lot of difficulty learning letter sounds and recognizing real words. Learning to read will be extremely difficult. Handwriting is an important part of education. Many states require essay tests where the content is more important than handwriting or even spelling. But those essays still have to be readable… middle of paper… rner. Teachers simply don't have enough time to teach handwriting. We want students to be able to express themselves and be assessed on this ability, but these same students must rely on electronic devices not only for writing, but for grammar and vocabulary. Most schools don't have the funding to put a computer in the hands of every student, so they shouldn't be asked to replace writing with typing. Learning to write by hand should be taught in elementary school because of its impact on learning to read, personal expression, and higher education. Works Cited Zaner-Bloser. Zaner-Bloser. ZB, Web. 11 September 2011.Kelly, Raina. "The writing on the wall." The daily beast”. In Newsweek magazine, November 3, 2007, Web. September 11, 2011.St Mau, Suzan. "Because handwriting doesn't settle down and die." How to write better. How to write better., 20 April 2011. Network. 9 September. 2011.