In a world dominated by digital screens and typed messages, the delicate swirl of cursive writing seems like a relic of the past. Yet, House Bill 921, a proposed law that would mandate cursive instruction in Florida’s public schools, is igniting a wave of controversy nationwide.
HB 921 would provide “students in grades two through five the study of cursive writing and the development of the skills necessary for legible cursive writing.”
According to supporters, the bill aims to ensure that young learners develop handwriting skills that help with brain development and memory retention. However, critics like Maria Trujillo, an instructor at Kumon Learning Center in Tallahassee, believe the focus should shift towards more pressing educational concerns.
“It takes a lot of time from the teachers and instructors to teach correct cursive,” Trujillo said. “I don’t think that makes a good case for supporting the amount of time and effort a teacher would have to invest in teaching cursive compared to dedicating time to mental health issues, better math, and more accessibility in individual instruction for students.”
Despite the push for cursive, many educators and experts argue that it may not be the most effective way to foster brain development or improve learning outcomes. While cursive may hold nostalgic value for some, there is a growing consensus that traditional print handwriting and other forms of learning may be more beneficial to students’ academic progress.
The National Institutes of Health highlights the importance of handwriting, noting that, “Handwriting on paper is more effective for learning than typing on a keyboard. The movements involved in handwriting allow for the greater memorization of new words.”
Trujillo acknowledges the importance of handwriting in a child’s cognitive development but argues that cursive writing is not necessarily the best way to achieve these benefits.
“You should take notes by writing rather than just by typing things on the keyboard because a kid’s brain is so elastic — the memory just constructs so much better when they’re writing,” Trujillo explained. “Now that being said, it doesn’t need to be cursive.”
This viewpoint is shared by many educators who believe cursive writing may be outdated in the modern classroom. Given the overwhelming presence of technology in contemporary life, some think the focus should instead be on developing other, more practical skills like reading comprehension.
Trujillo stresses that it is more important for students to focus on reading than to concern themselves with mastering cursive.
“There’s not enough focus on phonics, reading out loud, sitting at a round table and telling stories,” Trujillo said.
Reading and literacy have become even more urgent priorities after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in Florida, scores in fourth-grade reading declined to their lowest levels since 2003 after the pandemic.
“After COVID, my God, the gap is so big,” Trujillo said. “But the school could invest in that humongous gap that we have in reading rather than using the time to teach cursive, which is, by the way, kind of hard.”
Trujillo’s concerns are echoed by many who worry that HB 921 could divert attention from more pressing educational challenges. At the same time, the bill’s supporters argue that cursive instruction fosters fine motor skills and cognitive development.