Cursive writing has come under attack in recent years for being old-fashioned, irrelevant, and unnecessary. Many schools have dropped it from their curriculum, choosing instead to focus on the rudimentary skills of printing and typing.
As the debate ebbs and flows and schools decide whether to continue to teach this age-old skill, it is worth considering the inherent value of the cursive script.
Some U.S. lawmakers are recognizing the value of cursive. Last year, Louisiana passed a senate bill that requires students to learn cursive writing. It will go into effect this fall and students will need to obtain some level of proficiency in handwriting. Five other states are proposing similar bills.
Meanwhile, decision-makers in Ontario and Quebec have pulled cursive writing from the curriculum. Other provinces may follow suit.
With over-burdened teachers trying to balance the ever-shifting needs of their students and with the proliferation of computers and tablets in the classroom, it’s not surprising cursive writing has fallen out of favour in recent years.
To write with any competency in a cursive style requires a steady hand and active engagement in spelling, sentence structure, and grammar. Without a delete button there’s a much smaller margin for error, and cursive requires one very important but disappearing skill—the ability to slow down and think. Someone who can produce a grammatically correct letter in the cursive style has mastered a skill that allows them to put thoughts to paper in a considered and careful way.
