Opinion: Cursive is More Than Just Handwriting
By Elizabeth Chen
As letters have been replaced by emails, newspapers by online newsletters, and test booklets by Bluebook, somewhere along the last 200 years, teaching cursive has been replaced by typing skills.
I remember when I was in the second grade, each week my class would go over how to write a new letter in cursive. I would wait in anticipation for my worksheet, where I zoomed through the dotted lines that guided my pencil marks until I reached a blank line that prompted me to write without assistance. Upon returning home, I would write sentences and sentences in cursive – and when I didn’t know the letter, I would simply just guess. You can imagine my surprise when I realized what “G” looked like.
But as a high school senior now, it saddens me that this skill is no longer a core part of the elementary school curriculum. Indeed, I rarely find myself writing on paper anymore – tests and assignments are all online. So, as educators pose the question: Should cursive be taught in schools? I look at my handwritten journals from elementary school, pages filled with messy loops and mispelled words, and say, “Yes.”
Cursive is more than just writing; it is a form of individual literacy – a marker of education and identity. As ancient societies developed their own forms of writing, cursive has stood out as one of the styles that reflected the values of each generation. Not only is it a cultural marker, but it also quickens writing speed. Printing letters slows you down with lifting your pencil between each letter – but with cursive, you only have to lift between words. Teaching cursive engages deeper learning and stimulates cognitive processes, especially related to language, memory, and critical thinking.
In fact, many states have recognized the importance of cursive writing and have passed legislation requiring it in the curriculum. Over 25 states require cursive instruction, including California, Ohio, and Illinois. In late June of 2025, Pennsylvania became the most recent state to pass a similar legislation, requiring it to be taught in all public and private elementary schools across the state.
While the rise in technology should promote adaptation in education, including teaching typing skills and coding, cursive is a connection to our legacy of written human expression and a tool for cognitive development.
Sources:
https://baylorlariat.com/2025/12/08/cursive-is-more-than-just-a-font/
https://www.livenowfox.com/news/states-require-cursive-taught-schools