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Quinn Geist
Mrs. Cramer
College Composition I
31 October, 2017
Teaching Cursive in Schools
The skill of reading and writing in cursive is useful in a variety of ways and is simple for

most people to learn. Studies show that students who take notes in cursive have improved test

scores and writing tends to be more legible and visually pleasing. Cursive should be taught in

schools because it is a skill that strengthens a student's writing ability by improving critical-

thinking skills and fluency, allows students to better understand historical documents, is

generally considered an artistic ability, and is necessary for the real world.

Boreiter and Scardamalia (1987) provided an explanation of how novices can gradually

master these highly demanding text production tasks, including the significance if increasing the

fluency of the linguistic processes in order to lessen the demands on a person's memory system

when it tries to hold and manipulate a large amount of information simultaneously. (Grunke,

Buyuknarci, Wilbert, and Breuer). In Insights on Learning Disabilities: From Prevailing

Theories to Validating Practices, the authors argue faster writing speeds better a student's

literacy skills because they are more focused on the content of their writing than on the act of

putting it to paper. A person's ability to write well is dependent on that person's ability to write

quickly. Each task requires the proper tools to be completed and fluent writing through cursive is

the proper tool for writing. This idea is reinforced by Professor Steve Graham in The Christian

Science Monitor stating, "Your hands aren't fast enough to keep up with your mind" (Kauffman)

and by the author of 5 Brain-Based Reasons to Teach Handwriting in Schools, "In one study,

researchers found gray matter volume and density correlating with higher handwriting quality,
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which signals more efficient neural processing and higher skills and ability (Gimenez et al.,

2014). Furthermore, when older students lack fluency in their writing, composition skills suffer

along with self-esteem grades, and test scores (Stevenson & Just, 2014)." (Gentry). A students

writing ability is often bottlenecked by their writing speed.

The author of 5 Brain-Based Reasons to Teach Handwriting in Schools states "Even in

upper elementary and middle school, research has shown that learning to write in cursive

improved spelling and composition skills (Berninger, 2015). The takeaway? It's worth taking the

time in the daily curriculum and it's worth the financial investment in teaching resources for

handwriting." (Gentry) and "Mueller's notetaking experiments found that typing on a laptop was

much less effective for memorizing and synthesizing information." (Gentry). Writing in cursive

not only increases writing speeds but also introduces a new way to use the English language and

practice literacy skills.

Before the typewriter, nearly all documents were written in cursive varying from

informal letters to the documents that established a nation. If a student needs to understand the

content of a document such as The Constitution, they have to be able to read cursive. For many

students today, reading cursive is similar to reading in a different language. The ability to

interpret these documents is necessary to learn the material.

In short, by failing to educate in the basics, including in mastery of cursive, public

schools are distancing generations of Americans from their own history. Rather than
ensuring that youth are strongly connected to the original principles that define what it
means to be an American, public schools are distancing youth from those principles and
U.S. history. Without a grounding in our nation's past, our citizenry fails to appreciate
the struggle for freedom and the need to participate in that struggle in our
time."(Emord).
Jonothan Emord argues in Why the Left Curses Cursive, that an inability to understand

historical documents written in cursive hinders the education of the student. The author's
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introduction reinforces this argument stating, "[The] failure [to teach cursive to schoolchildren]

denies generations of youth the opportunity to appreciate an expressive form that is in every

Anglo-American historical document before the age of the typewriter." (Emord). Peyton

Pettyjohn also argued in Scholastic News/Weekly Reader Edition 5/6, "When you learn how to

read and write in cursive, you also learn how to read cursive writing. That's an important skill if

you want to be able to read historical documents written in script, like the Declaration of

Independence." (Pettyjohn and Alecci). If a student needs to understand the content of a

document like The Constitution, they need to be able to read cursive.

Robert Klose wrote, "Perhaps the strongest argument for the retention of cursive is that it

is, or at least can be, beautiful. If you have forgotten this, take a look at Magna Carta, the US

Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Text typed on a computer is not beautiful because it is not

distinctive – my Helvetica font is the same as yours or anybody else’s." (Kauffman). The ability

to write in cursive is similar to the ability to paint or sculpt. Unlike typing on a computer, cursive

is a means of being an individual. Writing styles vary from person to person and no two will be

the same.

Today people argue whether cursive is needed outside of school. George Alecci states in

Scholastic News/Weekly Reader Edition 5/6. "If kids want to learn cursive, they should learn it in

their spare time. Learning cursive in school takes too much time away from other subjects, like

reading and math, that will be more important later in life.". Peyton Pettyjohn rebuttals this claim

arguing, "Kids should also learn to write cursive so they can sign their names. Someday, they'll

be expected to use cursive writing to sign letters and checks.". Principal Kimberly Brueck also

stated, "Children need to know how to sign their names!". While teaching cursive takes time
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from other subjects, it is as important in everyday life as reading and math because the ability to

write your name in cursive is needed for letters, checks, and any legal document.

In conclusion, cursive should be taught in schools because of the variety of benefits.

People cannot naturally print faster than they can write in cursive. If someone cannot write

quickly enough it becomes a bottleneck for the creative process. Cursive is also a means of

practicing literacy skills and speed which are essential to exams like the SAT and is also needed

for any task from reading the United States Constitution to signing a check. Beyond the needs for

cursive, it is also considered a form of art.

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Works Cited

Emord, Jonathan W. "Why the left curses cursive." USA Today, Sept. 2017, p. 40+. Student

Resources in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A503710208/SUIC?u=pl1949&xid=01869880. Accessed 3

Nov. 2017.

Gentry, J. Richard. “5 Brain-Based Reasons to Teach Handwriting in School.” Psychology

Today, Sussex Publishers, 15 Sept. 2016, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/raising-

readers-writers-and-spellers/201609/5-brain-based-reasons-teach-handwriting-in-school.

Grunke, Matthias, et al. "To what extent do certain characteristics of a childs writen

storyinfluence the way it is rated? Insights into features nessecary for supporting

struggling writers." Insights on Learning Disabilities: From Prevailing Theories to

Validating Practices, vol. 12, no. 2, 2015, p. 163+. Educators Reference Complete,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?

Accessed 24 Oct. 2017.

Kauffman, Gretel. "A comeback for cursive? More states encouraging penmanship in school."

Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2017. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A484299656/OVIC?u=pl1949&xid=f2612455. Accessed 3

Nov. 2017.

Pettyjohn, Peyton, and George Alecci. "Should students learn cursive writing?" Scholastic

News/Weekly Reader Edition 5/6, 7 Sept. 2015, p. 7. Student Resources in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A435356523/SUIC?u=pl1949&xid=e312c8ec. Accessed 3

Nov. 2017.
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