# Discussion on Teaching Handwriting to Children: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 4, Listening Part 3

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 4, Listening Part 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 21 | C, E | what's less obvious is how it helps develop their concentration ... That aspect of handwriting had never occurred to me before. ... Hmm, same here. |
| 22 | C, E | I've never associated spatial awareness with handwriting either. ... Hmm, I thought that too. |
| 23 | A, C | One quite simple thing you can do is to use grid paper. ... that trains them to space the letters correctly |
| 24 | A, C | one of those pens that lights up if you press too hard ... That seems like a really simple solution. |
| 25 | C | it's not as frustrating for them if they get things wrong on a keyboard, they can be more willing to have a go |
| 26 | A | especially for children with learning difficulties who find joining up letters really challenging |
| 27 | A | now research shows that I was right to worry ... marks are definitely affected if examiners can't read the script |
| 28 | B | I can't see that changing much. ... It's a basic life skill. |
| 29 | B | my awful spelling and the fact that my punctuation is really inconsistent ... I think you can put that down to lack of practice. |
| 30 | C | Personally, I miss writing by hand. ... I know, I feel the same way. |

## Why these answers are right

**21. C, E.** The man calls the link with concentration less obvious, the woman says it had never occurred to her, and he replies same here. Both students are surprised that writing improves concentration, so C is one answer.

**22. C, E.** The man has never associated spatial awareness with handwriting, and the woman admits she thought the same before explaining that spacing words needs it. Both had a different idea before, so improved spatial awareness, E, surprised them both.

**23. A, C.** The woman says one quite simple fix is grid paper, where children write each letter in a box, which trains them to space letters correctly, and the man agrees. A simple solution makes poor spacing, A, one of the easiest problems to correct.

The why and the trap for questions 24 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/discussion-on-teaching-handwriting-to-children/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Part 3, you will hear two education students discussing an assignment on teaching handwriting to children.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 24.

**Man:** How are you getting on with the assignment on handwriting?

**Woman:** Not too bad.

**Woman:** You know, I hadn't realized that children benefit in so many ways from learning to write.

**Woman:** It's such an important skill, and yet most people think handwriting is less important than in the past, because people hardly ever write by hand these days.

**Man:** Yes.

**Man:** And all the evidence suggests children should learn to write by hand before they learn to type, not least because it helps their memory.

**Woman:** That's right, the physical act of writing helps children to remember letters.

**Woman:** That seems pretty obvious when you think about it.

**Man:** Ha, what's less obvious is how it helps develop their concentration.

**Man:** They have to sit still and focus on one thing.

**Woman:** Yeah.

**Woman:** That aspect of handwriting had never occurred to me before.

**Man:** Hmm, same here.

**Man:** I'm not sure I understand how it improves children's imagination though.

**Woman:** Well, there was that study which showed that primary age children generated more ideas when they were writing by hand than using a keyboard.

**Woman:** I would have guessed that would be the case.

**Man:** Hmm, yeah.

**Man:** I've never associated spatial awareness with handwriting either.

**Man:** I thought spatial awareness was more to do with knowing where you are in relation to objects or other people.

**Woman:** Hmm, I thought that too.

**Woman:** But good spatial awareness is essential for writing, because you have to space words correctly.

**Woman:** It's not just fine motor skills that improve through writing, as I'd always assumed.

**Man:** hmm Handwriting is so much harder for children with dyspraxia, who have problems coordinating movement.

**Man:** It's good there are lots of things you can do in the classroom to help them.

**Man:** They need so much more support with letter formation.

**Man:** You need to play lots of games to help them distinguish letter shapes.

**Man:** Huh, it takes a lot of patience.

**Man:** Yeah.

**Woman:** I like the idea of using one of those pens that lights up if you press too hard.

**Woman:** That seems like a really simple solution.

**Man:** Yes, absolutely.

**Man:** I'm not sure there's much you can do about children with dyspraxia writing very slowly.

**Man:** It's more important to focus on accuracy, and as they get more confident.

**Man:** I think they eventually speed up.

**Woman:** One quite simple thing you can do is to use grid paper.

**Woman:** So they write each letter in a box, and that trains them to space the letters correctly.

**Man:** Indeed.

**Man:** That's more important for legibility than trying to get them to write in a straight line.

**Announcer:** Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.

**Announcer:** Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.

**Man:** For some children, it might be better to teach them to write on a laptop, rather than by hand.

**Man:** Like children with dyslexia, they often really struggle with handwriting, and some just give up.

**Woman:** Yeah, it's not as frustrating for them if they get things wrong on a keyboard, they can be more willing to have a go, but I read that developing fluency isn't any faster.

**Man:** That's right.

**Man:** Did you read that article on the benefits of teaching print rather than cursive handwriting, where the letters are joined up?

**Woman:** Yes.

**Woman:** Well, in the past cursive writing was certainly considered more stylish and educated.

**Woman:** But not anymore.

**Woman:** Teachers' attitudes have changed because it's been proved that cursive is more difficult to learn, especially for children with learning difficulties who find joining up letters really challenging.

**Man:** I agree.

**Man:** I was always worried that my poor handwriting affected my exam results, and now research shows that I was right to worry.

**Man:** I'm sure a lot of students think it's unfair that they're being judged on their handwriting.

**Woman:** Not just their knowledge, marks are definitely affected if examiners can't read the script.

**Woman:** That's why it's always been so important to teach children to write legibly.

**Woman:** Do you think the role of handwriting will change in the future?

**Man:** hmm I can't see that changing much.

**Man:** Touch typing still isn't taught in most schools.

**Man:** Which is a shame, but maybe that won't be necessary in the future, because people will also be able to write by hand on digital devices.

**Man:** Anyway.

**Man:** Teachers understand the value of handwriting.

**Man:** It's a basic life skill.

**Man:** True.

**Woman:** However, the fact is that people are writing by hand less and less and relying on digital devices.

**Woman:** That does cause some problems.

**Man:** hmm You mean like notetaking?

**Woman:** There are lots of apps for that, and for reading historical documents apparently.

**Woman:** But my mom is shocked by my awful spelling and the fact that my punctuation is really inconsistent.

**Woman:** I think you can put that down to lack of practice.

**Man:** Ha ha, I expect so.

**Man:** Personally, I miss writing by hand.

**Man:** I hardly ever write anything now.

**Man:** I remember my grandparents had such beautiful handwriting, and it was so individual.

**Man:** Nobody I know would be able to identify my handwriting now.

**Man:** It's a shame.

**Woman:** I know, I feel the same way.

**Woman:** I used to write a diary by hand.

**Woman:** And now I do that digitally.

**Woman:** It just seems less effort to do it that way.

**Woman:** hmm So it's not just a problem.

**Announcer:** That is the end of part 3.

**Announcer:** You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to part three.

[Practice Discussion on Teaching Handwriting to Children](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/discussion-on-teaching-handwriting-to-children)