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Printed Worksheets vs Screens: What the Research Says for Kids
Paper or screen for your child's learning? A balanced look at research on handwriting, reading on paper, and PISA findings on digital distraction.
Read the guideKey points
The research does not support a simple "paper good, screens bad" rule. The effects depend on the task, the child's age and how the device is used.
Evidence suggests reading informational text on paper may support comprehension a little better than reading on screens, and that handwriting letters can help young children's early reading.
International testing data link digital distraction in class with lower maths scores, but these are associations, not proof of cause.
A sensible mix works for most families: paper for focused practice and written working, screens for feedback and variety.
Why are parents asking about paper versus screens?
Many Australian children now use devices at school and at home, and parents are hearing mixed messages. Some countries have publicly shifted back towards books. In 2024, Sweden's government funded around 880,000 books for preschools and schools and moved to reduce screen time in preschools, citing falling reading comprehension [1].
That does not mean screens are harmful by default. It is worth looking at what the research actually says.
What does research say about handwriting and learning?
Handwriting and early reading:
One often-cited study, by Karin James and Laura Engelhardt, followed 15 children aged four and five who had not yet learnt to read [2]. The children practised letters in three ways: printing them freehand, tracing them, or typing them. Brain scans afterwards showed that a "reading circuit" was engaged when children looked at letters only after they had printed them, not after typing or tracing [2].
This is a small study, but it fits a broader view that forming letters by hand helps young children learn what letters look like.
Handwriting and the brain in older learners:
A 2024 study from Norway recorded brain activity while 36 university students wrote words by hand or typed them [3]. Handwriting produced wider patterns of brain connectivity than typing, which the authors linked to conditions that support learning [3].
This study was widely shared online, but it has clear limits. It involved young adults rather than children, and it did not measure whether anyone learnt more [3]. A published commentary by Pinet and Longcamp pointed out these gaps, and noted that the typing task used only one finger, which is not how people normally type [4]. The commentators still acknowledged that handwriting has documented benefits [4]. The fair summary is that this study is interesting but does not prove that handwriting improves memory.
Is reading on paper better than reading on screens?
A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis by Virginia Clinton found that reading from screens had a negative effect on reading performance compared with paper [5]. The disadvantage appeared for expository (informational) texts, but not for narrative texts such as stories [5]. There was no significant difference in reading time, and readers judged their own understanding more accurately when reading from paper [5].
For maths, this suggests that worded problems and explanations may be easier for some children to work through carefully on paper, though the review did not look at maths specifically.
What does PISA say about digital devices and learning?
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests 15-year-olds across many countries. In PISA 2022, students who reported being distracted by digital devices in every or most maths lessons scored 15 points lower than students who were rarely distracted, according to an analysis published by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in Teacher magazine [6]. That gap is described as about three-quarters of a year of learning [6].
A higher proportion of Australian students than the OECD average reported being distracted by digital resources in every or most classes [6]. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has also reported a negative relationship between leisure use of digital devices at school and academic performance [7].
Two cautions matter here. First, these are correlations: they show a link, not that devices caused lower scores. Second, the findings are about secondary students and about distraction and leisure use, not about well-designed learning tools.
Where does paper practice fit?
Taken together, the evidence points to a balanced approach rather than choosing one side.
When paper helps:
Focused practice. A printed worksheet has no notifications, links or other apps competing for attention.
Writing out working. Maths often needs space to set out steps, draw arrays, number lines or diagrams.
Early writing. Young children benefit from forming numerals and letters by hand [2].
Checking together. Parents can sit alongside, see how a child reached an answer and talk it through.
When screens help:
Instant feedback. A child finds out straight away whether an answer is right.
Variety and adjustment. Digital practice can offer many questions and change difficulty.
Tracking progress. Parents can see which skills need more work.
A sensible weekly mix:
For a primary-school child, a practical pattern might be a few short digital sessions and one or two printed worksheets each week. Keep devices used for learning separate from entertainment where you can, and put phones and tablets away during paper practice. For guidance on what your child should be learning each year, see Is my child on track? (noooli.com/learn/is-my-child-on-track).
If you would like to try paper practice, our free printable maths worksheets (noooli.com/worksheets/maths) cover Kindergarten to Year 6, include answers, and need no sign-up.
How Noooli can help
Noooli combines both approaches. It offers short daily maths practice, about 10 minutes, for Kindergarten to Year 6, aligned to the Australian Curriculum, and parents can see their child's progress. For paper practice, our free printable worksheets (noooli.com/worksheets/maths) come with answer keys and need no sign-up. Plans are Free, Noooli Plus (A$9.99/month or A$107.89 a year, one child) and Noooli Max (A$19.99/month or A$214.99 a year, every child in the family).
References
1. Eurydice (European Commission), "Sweden: More books in preschools and schools and less digital learning tools", 2024, https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news/sweden-more-books-preschools-and-schools-and-less-digital-learning-tools
2. James, K. H. and Engelhardt, L., "The effects of handwriting experience on functional brain development in pre-literate children", Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 2012, https://can.lab.indiana.edu/publications/pub-files/2012-james-engelhardt.pdf
3. Van der Weel, F. R. and Van der Meer, A. L. H., "Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: a high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom", Frontiers in Psychology, 2024, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945/full
4. Pinet, S. and Longcamp, M., general commentary on Van der Weel and Van der Meer (2024), Frontiers in Psychology, 2025, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1517235/full
5. Clinton, V., "Reading from paper compared to screens: A systematic review and meta-analysis", Journal of Research in Reading, 2019, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9817.12269 (summary: https://www.readingrockets.org/resources/resource-library/reading-paper-compared-screens-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis)
6. Broadley, A., Teacher magazine (ACER), "Insights from PISA: Digital distractions in the classroom", 2024, https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/insights-from-pisa-digital-distractions-in-the-classroom
7. OECD, "Students, digital devices and success", 2024, https://search.oecd.org/education/students-digital-devices-and-success-9e4c0624-en.htm
Common questions
Is learning on paper better than learning on a screen?
Not in every case. Research suggests reading informational text on paper may support comprehension slightly better, and handwriting letters may help young children's early reading development. Screens can offer instant feedback and practice that adapts to a child. Most families will do best with a sensible mix of both.
Does handwriting help children remember things?
There is some evidence that handwriting supports learning, especially letter learning in young children. A small brain-imaging study found printing letters, but not typing or tracing them, engaged brain regions linked to reading. Claims that handwriting boosts memory in general are less settled, and some widely shared studies did not measure learning.
Are printed maths worksheets still useful?
Yes. Printed worksheets give children practice without notifications or other distractions, let them write out working and draw diagrams, and are easy for parents to mark together. They work well alongside short digital practice, which can give instant feedback.
