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As a Catholic elementary school student in the 1980s, I learned cursive and took penmanship seriously – making sure my uppercase letters extended fully from the top to bottom lines (or bottom to top, depending on the letter) with all the precise swooshes and curlicues. I loved the loopty-loop of an elegant capital D, but found Q awkward and silly.
These days, however, I rarely use cursive. Even my signature is often just two uppercase print initials. Sr. Mary would not be impressed.
But cursive is making a comeback of sorts, writes Shawn Datchuk, associate professor of special education at the University of Iowa. Several states, including California, Iowa and Oklahoma, in recent years have mandated cursive instruction in K-8 schools. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are considering similar legislation, as are other states.
Research suggests that learning cursive may help improve students’ overall reading and writing skills, including spelling accuracy and storytelling ability. But squeezing it into an already-packed curriculum could be a challenge for many teachers, who already have limited time in the school day to teach all the expected writing skills, from basic print handwriting to essay composition.
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Kate Kilpatrick
Philadelphia Editor
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Pennsylvania is considering legislation that mandates cursive instruction in public schools.
Angela Guthrie/iStock via Getty Images
Shawn Datchuk, University of Iowa
Teachers often have trouble finding enough time in the school day to teach all the expected writing skills, let alone cursive handwriting.
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