Is cursive still taught?

Historically, learning cursive handwriting has been a common part of education in many countries. Students spent numerous classroom hours honing their cursive skills, perfecting uppercase and lowercase letters, and developing a unique, flowing handwriting style. However, in recent decades cursive instruction has significantly declined, especially as digital devices and online learning have become mainstream throughout schools. This leads to an important question: is cursive still taught, and what's the state of handwriting instruction today?

The decline of cursive education

Since the early 2000s, cursive instruction has diminished considerably in many education systems worldwide, particularly in the United States. Several factors have contributed to this decline:

• Digital shift: Computers, tablets, and keyboards increasingly became the primary tools for literacy activities, gradually reducing reliance on handwritten documents.
• Curriculum prioritization: Schools have prioritized preparing students for standardized assessments focusing on core subjects like math, science, and reading comprehension. As a result, cursive writing, viewed as an expendable skill, often fell by the wayside.
• Common core standards: In 2010, The Common Core State Standards adopted by many U.S. states did not explicitly include cursive as a required skill. This led many educators to reduce or eliminate cursive instruction in curriculums entirely.

Consequently, many children today complete school without gaining proficiency in cursive writing, sometimes even struggling to read cursive, affecting their ability to handle handwritten historical documents, letters, or formal signatures.

Why some schools still teach cursive

Despite the widespread decline, various schools, educators, and parents continue to advocate strongly for cursive instruction. These advocates argue that cursive handwriting has intrinsic educational and cognitive value that justifies its continuation. Key arguments in favor of teaching cursive include:

• Cognitive benefits: Research shows that cursive handwriting engages areas of the brain involved in language, memory, motor coordination, and visual discrimination.
• Fine motor skills and dexterity: Writing cursive can help children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination more effectively than keyboard typing.
• Historical understanding: Students proficient in cursive can easily read handwritten historical documents, old letters, archival manuscripts, and original signatures in historical contexts.
• Personal signature: Cursive provides students with the skills necessary to write a personal signature, important for official forms and documents throughout a person's lifetime.
• Cultural and traditional values: Cursive writing holds cultural and sentimental significance, retaining traditional value in different cultures.

Where is cursive still taught?

Even with the overall decline, cursive is still taught in various settings. For instance:

• Certain American states, such as Texas, Alabama, Virginia, and North Carolina, have introduced legislation mandating cursive instruction in schools, requiring cursive proficiency before the fifth or sixth grade.
• Internationally, cursive or connected handwriting still has strong footholds in education systems such as those in France, Germany, India, and several other countries where connected scripts are the standard teaching practice.
• Private schools and homeschooling curriculums frequently prioritize cursive due to their flexibility and emphasis on traditional education methods.

A renewed interest in cursive education

Recently, there has been a renewed interest in cursive education, supported by parents, educators, and even policymakers. Notably, as of 2022–2023, some U.S. states and school districts have reconsidered cursive's benefits for students and begun reintroducing cursive instruction back into their classrooms, often in response to advocacy from parents and education groups.

This revival has also been aided by studies highlighting handwriting’s cognitive benefits. Educational experts continue to examine the role cursive education plays as part of a balanced approach, combining digital tools and traditional literacy methods.

The future of cursive education

Looking ahead, cursive instruction will likely remain a topic of discussion and debate within education circles:

• Educators face the ongoing challenge of balancing traditional skills and digital innovations.
• Many believe cursive should be retained, at least at a basic level, to afford students access to historical documents, personal signatures, and artistic expression.
• Others advocate treating cursive instruction as a skill-based or elective course, available to interested students without requiring it universally.

In summary

While cursive handwriting is certainly no longer taught universally as it once was, it's essential to note it hasn't disappeared completely from education. Many schools, regions, and educators continue to value and teach cursive, stressing both academic and cultural benefits. As educational practices continually evolve, cursive handwriting faces uncertain territory, but the ongoing dialogue surrounding its educational importance suggests it will remain an option, if not a core component, of literacy education for years to come.