The Moving Alphabet
‘ What will writing look like for the next generation?’
Should we still teach children how to write by hand, or switch to typing? To turn this abstract question into a more tangible experience Marie Panken created a typeface where you read the handwriting, and typing, movement of your hands. By participating you are asked; What will writing look like for the next generation?
The answer to the question of whether to teach children to write by hand or by type will have a grand impact, since our entire education system is built upon the ability to read and write. We often seek the answer by looking at how we use writing in adult life. But by then writing has already become an automated mechanism. What would a switch to typing mean for a four-year-old who is about to find out that tiny squiggly lines represent a sound and carry a meaning? It is hard to imagine what the effects are on the educational process. Writing is not an isolated activity, but strongly connected to letter recognition, comprehensive reading and sensorimotor development.
