APTIS READING TASK 4

CHOOSE A HEADING FOR EACH PARAGRAPH. THERE IS ONE EXTRA HEADING.

LIST OF HEADINGS
Are handwriting skills getting worse?
Handwriting’s contributions to society
The origins of handwriting
Why handwriting is a worthwhile skill
The need to accept progress
Handwriting and feelings
Is handwriting becoming redundant?
Teaching handwriting in the past
Adapting to current needs

Handwriting
0. Are handwriting skills getting worse?
Educators and the older generation often criticize the disgraceful spelling and sloppy handwriting of children and
teenagers. Many blame the rise of new communication technology for the decline in handwriting skills. Aside
from technology, however, it might also be as a result of less attention being paid to script writing in the education
system.
1. ________________________________________________
Do people in the modern world write much by hand these days? Should children still be trained in skilful letter
formation – even if there is not a regular need to put pen to paper when they enter society? It is apparent that in
modern countries today technological communication dominates. Teenagers use mobile phones to send text
messages to classmates. Professionals in the business world correspond by email. Signatures are being
replaced by security numbers. Increasingly, handwriting is limited to casual, everyday use for personal purposes.
Typing is overtaking writing. It is transforming our written correspondence.
2. ________________________________________________
People used to spend a significant portion of their early education learning how to produce beautifully shaped
letters. Many hours were spent copying from the board and tracing the teacher’s model handwriting samples for
homework. These were rewarded with high scores for ‘penmanship’. This term illustrates the idea that
handwriting was seen as a craft. Students acquired and perfected it. Of course, primary schools still continue to
include some handwriting lessons today. Critics argue, however, that the time spent is inadequate. They
subscribe to a view that the learning of handwriting is worthwhile and should be revived.
3. _________________________________________________
Advocates who want to resume the focus of handwriting in educational institutions see many benefits. These go
beyond simply being able to write a stylish thank-you note. Firstly, the process of acquiring an ability to write is
subtle, yet it is an important component of mental development in children. Secondly, it contributes to the
enhancement of motor-skills and hand-eye coordination in younger learners. Learning to write has also been
shown to help speed up the acquisition of reading skills. Furthermore, it probably improves creativity and graphic
skills. Another positive aspects is that jotting things down is a useful memorization aid.
4. ________________________________________________
One argument for the on-going study of handwriting techniques is cultural significance. The art of handwriting is
also called ‘calligraphy’. Calligraphy is one way to preserve the history and traditions of a community. The
importance of this is evident in places where the bond between culture and handwriting is manifest in art. For
example, elaborately written religious texts are displayed on buildings in Arabia. Also, Chinese artists use
characters to illustrate profound philosophies in splendid works of art. Arguably, the pool of artistic talent will
shrink if handwriting is neglected in early education. Extremists envisage the disappearance of this layer of our
cultural history.
5. _________________________________________________
In contrast, others are dubious about the necessity of learning how to write by hand in today’s rapidly modernizing
economies. The common sense approach is that education should equip young people with the instruments they
need for future occupations. It is unreasonable to make handwriting a compulsory subject when computer literacy
is more predominant. Also, it is not feasible to maintain a focus on traditional handwriting alongside computer
skills. Technological communication allows an ease of written communication, the enthusiasm for these devices
will not diminish. Primary education should focus on providing life-skills instead of holding on to old-fashioned
modes of communication.
6. _________________________________________________
Change is always controversial and the fear of losing tradition is not new. For example, take the introduction of
the first machine-based writing instrument, the typewriter. At the time there was a similar wave of concern about
the loss of the human touch beneath machine-generated letters. Then, some believed that machine-printed
words on a page could not convey the human emotion that is carried through pen and ink. This view is common
nowadays, too. Today, as the popularity of email grows, writing a letter by hand is a way to mark a special
occasion of intimate relationship.
7. __________________________________________________
Perhaps it is a waste of time to be sentimental about changes. After all, in previous eras, major inventions like
the car caused the disappearance of certain professions and expertise, too. Change is a necessary requirement
for global advancement. As society progresses, we should acknowledge that some skills will be lost or
transformed into art forms. They will disappear from the range of essential daily skills. And, while lessons on
handwriting should not be abandoned entirely, we need to overcome our reluctance to change. We ought to
embrace alternative skills as they arise. Then, we need to teach the most relevant ones to our children.
ANSWERS
1. Is handwriting becoming redundant?
2. Teaching handwriting in the past
3. Why handwriting is a worthwhile skill
4. Handwriting’s contributions to society
5. Adapting to current needs
6. Handwriting and feelings
7. The need to accept progress