Writing is a medium for thinking and making sense of experience. When we write, we write ourselves into meaning, discovering ideas and generating insights. We write to clarify, solve problems, shape and communicate our beliefs and perspectives, experiment, access the inner world of thoughts and emotions and conduct our transactions in the public, social and professional areas. Every act of writing is therefore potentially an act of creation.

With advances in neuroscience over the last decades, we are gaining valuable insights into the role of writing in cognitive development and the benefits of and processes involved in the act of writing. Most interesting amongst these for teaching writing is the evidence that:

• Expressive writing has shown to reduce stress by 60%. This kind of writing may include, for example, journal writing, stories and reflections.
• Writing for 15 minutes, three times a week, has shown to improve sleep and have a positive impact on mental health.
• Regular expressive writing is linked to improved immune function, mood and general wellbeing.
• Writing regularly can assist in closing ‘mental tabs’ which lead to stress and neural overload.
• Writing by hand has been shown to improve understanding and the retention of information. Pen and paper writing sends unique sensory signals to the brain that build motor memory and imprint knowledge in the brain more effectively than through using a keyboard. So, thinking and memory are enhanced by pen and paper writing rather than keyboard writing.

The act of writing regularly is therefore not only advantageous for students’ academic performance, but also of considerable potential benefit to an individual’s health and wellbeing. Thus, the formation of a community of teacher-writers and student-writers is an important part of the Mount Carmel literacy landscape.

Clare Murphy

English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional Coach