When the Common Core State Standards were introduced in 2010, students were not required to be proficient in handwriting or cursive writing. Because of this, many schools across the country removed handwriting instruction from their curriculum altogether. Prior to 2010, schools throughout the United States taught children how to write in both print and cursive. Developed in the 1600’s, cursive handwriting was the preferred form of writing by many people. Today, few schools teach cursive handwriting so children not only fail to write in this style, they cannot read things written in cursive either! We’re talking about things like The Declaration of Independence, a handwritten thank-you note from a grandparent, and signatures.
How is Cursive different?
Cursive is a style of writing where letters are joined together in a continuous, flowing way. In general, cursive is thought to be a faster and more fluid form of handwriting. In contrast, printing is a style of writing where each letter is formed individually. Although a more rudimentary style of writing, it is easier to teach as cursive handwriting takes an enormous amount of instructional time. It is thought that this is of the main reasons why cursive is no longer taught in American schools.
Why is Cursive Important?
Although cursive may take a lot of instructional time to teach, there are many benefits to being able to write in both print and cursive. First of all, learning to write in the cursive style also teaches children how to read cursive penmanship. Next, all cursive letters start at the writing line and then consistently move upwards in a left-to-right direction. This helps prevent letter reversals and may improve a person with dyslexia and other reading difficulties handwriting, spelling, etc. Also, writing in cursive usually helps people write faster which is important when taking notes, writing essays, and completing handwritten tests. Finally, students have different styles of learning. Having the option to write in either cursive or print (or a combination of both) may help students who struggle with printing.
The State of Cursive in Curriculums
As a handwriting specialist, I believe that cursive is not a lost art form and should be taught in schools. And, it just might be making a comeback because as of 2023, 21 states require cursive handwriting instruction in their public school curriculum. Let’s hope this trend continues and very soon we see a shift back to teaching all students how to read and write in cursive!
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