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Developing an attractive, legible cursive handwriting style certainly has great aesthetic value, but it also has numerous mental, physical, social, and practical benefits.

1. Improved neural connections. Cursive handwriting stimulates the brain in ways that typing cannot. It improves the dynamic interplay of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, helps build neural pathways, and increases mental effectiveness. According to Virginia Berninger, a researcher and professor at the University of Washington, "Pictures of brain activity have illustrated that sequential finger movements used in handwriting activated massive regions of the brain involved in thinking, language, and working memory. Handwriting differs from typing because it requires executing sequential finger strokes to form a letter, whereas keyboarding only involves touching a key."

2. Improved ability to read cursive. When individuals cannot read cursive, they are cursively illiterate in their own language. The ability to read cursive is required in many settings.

3. Increased writing speed. The connectivity of a simple cursive style is faster to write than the stop and-start strokes of printing. Speed has been shown to increase attention span during writing. This increases continuity and fluidity in writing, which in turn encourages greater amounts of writing.

4. Improved fine motor skills. "Cursive handwriting naturally develops sensory skills. Through repetition the children begin to understand how much force needs to be applied to the pencil and paper, the positioning of the pencil to paper at the correct angle, and motor planning to form each letter in fluid motion from left to right. This physical and spatial awareness allows them to write, but more importantly, builds the neural foundation of sensory skills needed for a myriad of everyday tasks such as buttoning, fastening, tying shoes, picking up objects, copying words from blackboards, and most importantly, reading." ( Cutting Cursive, The Real Cost. Candace Meyer, CEO, Minds-in-Motion, Inc.)

5. Increased retention. The act of taking notes by hand instead of on a computer encourages a student to process the content and reframe it, which leads to better understanding and retention. Studies indicate that college students remembered information better one week later when they transcribed a paragraph in cursive than when they printed it or used a keyboard.

6. Ease of learning. Printing is more difficult than cursive due to the frequent stop-and-start motion when forming letters. In addition, some printed letters look similar and are easily reversed, like the b and d, which is often confusing to children. Cursive is of particular value to children with learning challenges such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and difficulties with attention.

7. Improved legibility and spelling ability. Cursive requires children to write from left to right so that the letters will join in proper sequence and with proper spacing, making their writing easier to read. It also aids with spelling through muscle memory, as the hand acquires memory of spelling patterns through fluid movements that are used repeatedly. This is the same phenomenon that occurs when pianists learn patterns of hand movements through continued repetition.

8. Increased self-discipline. Cursive handwriting is complex, and is inherently associated with the development of fine-motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Learning cursive prompts children to also develop self-discipline, which is a useful skill in all areas of life.

9. Higher quality signature. Cursive handwriting will improve the attractiveness, legibility, and fluidity of one's signature.

10. Increased self-respect. The ability to master the skill of writing clearly and fluidly improves the students' confidence to communicate freely with the written word. Handwriting is a vital life skill.

by Iris Hatfield, author of New American Cursive

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Top 10 Reasons to Learn Cursive | Memoria Press

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Developing an attractive, legible cursive handwriting style certainly has great aesthetic value, but it also has numerous mental, physical, social, and practical benefits. 1. Improved neural connections. Cursive handwriting stimulates the brain in ways that typing cannot. It improves the dynamic interplay of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, helps build neural pathways, and increases mental effectiveness.

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In the 21st century, teaching cursive writing is increasingly becoming more of the exception than the rule.

With computers emerging as the primary source for writing, many administrators feel teaching cursive writing is not necessary and believe the time would be better spent teaching keyboard skills. Many students and parents, however, believe that teaching cursive writing is still very relevant and should not be so quickly dismissed. Sound like a familiar debate at your school? Read on.

Cursive writing may be making a comeback, at least in some states. As of 2016, 14 states required cursive instruction. And in the fall of 2016, the nation's largest public school district, New York City schools, began encouraging cursive writing instruction in the curriculum.

Maggie Wells from Parenting Squad polled teachers to uncover reasons cursive should be taught in school, and here's what they said it does:

Develops motor skills

Cursive writing requires a very different skill set from print writing. It involves using the hand muscles in a different way. Additionally, it activates a different part of the brain than regular writing does. At the age cursive is taught, around 7 or 8 years old, these skills can be very beneficial in furthering motor skill development.

Reinforces learning

When students are taught the English language in only one form, print writing, they get only one chance to learn and memorize the letters. By having to learn cursive as well, students get another opportunity to fully comprehend the alphabet. Learning cursive also gives students a clearer understanding of how letters are formed, which will improve their print writing as well.

Working with legal documents

Being comfortable with cursive writing will guarantee students will be confident when writing and signing legal documentation. A cursive signature is most commonly required to endorse legal documents, accompanied by a printed version of their name too.

Writing and signing checks is another reason for learning cursive. Cursive writing has historically been the standard style when writing authorized checks for payment. Students risk being confident and successful when working with basic legal documents if they don't learn cursive.

Helps students with disabilities

Students with learning disabilities, specifically dyslexia, can have a very hard time with writing in print because many of the letters look similar, particularly b and d. Cursive letters, however, look very different from print letters. This gives dyslexic students another option - an option that can decrease their dyslexic tendencies and make them more confident in their abilities.

Cursive is a lost art form

More and more school districts are cutting art from their budgets. This can be detrimental to the full development of students. However, cursive writing could be considered an art form all its own. It is one more way for students to develop the side of their brain that is not developed by basic reading and writing skills. The more diverse a teaching curriculum is, the better.

Connects students to the past

Without being able to read cursive writing, students will undoubtedly be kept from many opportunities to read important documents. Think about it: so many historical documents are written in cursive. While some of these documents are readily available online in print form, not all of them are.

Not only will students miss out on a part of history, they may very well miss out on reading important letters and cards from their grandparents or great-grandparents, too. Older generations often still write in cursive on a daily basis, and kids often rely on their parents to translate these letters and cards for them because they simply cannot read the cursive writing. Forty years from now, when these grandparents have passed on, kids may want to look back on these letters, and they should be able to read them properly.

So, should cursive be taught in school?

If it were up to us at Concordia University-Portland, a resounding yes! Simply put, if teaching cursive writing is eliminated from schools, children could miss out on a lot. Though the world is becoming more and more technology dependent, there is something to be said for retaining a part of classic writing skills in the curriculum. Cursive reinforces the mantra that learning should simply be for learning - not just to pass a test.

Learn More: Click to view related resources.

Tags: Engaging Activities, Language Arts, Leadership and Administration

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5 Reasons Cursive Writing Should be Taught in School

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In the 21st century, teaching cursive writing is increasingly becoming more of the exception than the rule. With computers emerging as the primary source for writing, many administrators feel teaching cursive writing is not necessary and believe the time would be better spent teaching keyboard skills.

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For generations, cursive writing was a standard of nationwide school curriculum. However, in recent years, it has all but disappeared. In fact, the majority of schools in the U.S. have completely cut it out of a child's education. Still, there is a case to be made for its importance.

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10 Reasons Cursive Should Be Taught in School

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For generations, cursive writing was a standard of nationwide school curriculum. However, in recent years, it has all but disappeared. In fact, the majority of schools in the U.S. have completely cut it out of a child's education. Still, there is a case to be made for its importance.

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Should All Schools Teach Cursive? (Published 2019)

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A 10-year-old cursive champ makes an argument in its favor. Is he convincing?

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Reading, writing, and arithmetic: these were the foundation of what you learned growing up in school. One of the "Three R's" is missing from many school curriculums today. Out of the 43 states that currently follow Common Core educational standards, only seven of them include cursive handwriting in their curriculums. Cursive handwriting lessons are being replaced with more instructional time focused on standardized test preparations and teaching students how to write computer code. While it is important to adapt lesson plans for a new era in education, here are some reasons why cursive handwriting should still be taught.

We Learn Better When Writing Things Down

Practice makes perfect. This saying is especially true when it comes to writing. A recent study from the Boston Globe shows that students remember their notes better when writing them down, compared to typing them. With many schools emphasizing on preparing students on their test taking skills, encouraging them to write in script can help them excel on their next quiz. Writing in cursive will require some practice, and it can teach students that hard work and determination will allow them to succeed.

It Reduces Distractions & Prevents Multitasking

When you try to write something on the computer, do you find yourself catching up on today's news instead? The Atlantic reports that students feel less distracted when they take notes by hand. The same article also says that students feel better about their studies when they are not using laptops or tablets to take notes. For younger students, spelling out words and writing them in cursive can help them remember how to spell certain words they may have trouble with.

Students Will Still Need to Create a Signature

Think about how many times a day you sign a check or a piece of paper. You probably would not know how to create a signature if you were never taught to write in script. Although you might now be signing on a tablet, it's important to differentiate your signature from other peoples. Students should practice writing their name in script and develop a unique signature that would be hard to replicate to prevent fraudulent signatures.

It Helps Students with Dyslexia

The Dyslexia Research Institute reports that 10 to 15 percent of the entire US population suffers from dyslexia. Cursive handwriting is often used to help dyslexic students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. According to a report done by PBS, cursive handwriting has been proven to improve dyslexic students spelling and sentence structure.

It Helps Us Connect With Past Generations

Many of our past generations have written in script. Ancestral records, personal diaries, and other artifacts about loved ones can help future generations understand their family's history. If students are not being taught cursive, how are they supposed to view history? Many of our nation's most important documents have been written in script and it's important that our nation's students are able to read documents in script.

Want to test your script? See how well you can write "Gorilla Office Supplies" in cursive with our current contest.

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Should Cursive Handwriting Still Be Taught in Schools?

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Reading, writing, and arithmetic: these were the foundation of what you learned growing up in school. One of the "Three R's" is missing from many school curriculums today.

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BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) - Cursive writing - it has been at the center of heated debate at schools for decades, but after years of trying to erase this skill - the writing is on the wall. Cursive is making a comeback, in fact Texas is the latest state to adopt it for students. 7 Eyewitness senior reporter Eileen Buckley visited two schools where they are learning cursive.

To cursive - or not to cursive - that is the question as newer generations lack handwriting skills in a digital age. At our lady of black rock school in buffalo - cursive is taught in the third grade. Naomi Roberts said the school's library to demonstrate how she writes her name.

"I like how you get to write it and it's really like interesting," remarked Roberts.

Our Lady of Black Rock Principal Martha Eadie calls it "an age-old tradition" and an important part of language-literacy.

"It's that fluid flow. I think it helps students retain knowledge and retain information better," Eadie remarks.

Our lady of black rock 8th grader Teresa Lyon said it's important to learn.

"Because you have to sign your name and legal forms and checks," Lyons noted.

Mary Beth Musial, third grade teacher, Our Lady of Black Rock said she worries it could be a lost art.

"A perfect example - my mother was at a store and she had to sign her credit card and the clerk said - you sign so beautiful and they didn't know cursive. They haven't been using cursive," Musial explained.

But it appears to be making a classroom come as more and more states are requiring cursive.

The New York State Education Department said it remains a "local decision" whether to include cursive in a district's curriculum.

At Dodge Elementary School in the Williamsville school district. They're also teaching cursive to third graders.

Megan Schaab said it allows her to read birthday cards from grandparents and aunts and uncles.

"I like that I can read my sister's handwriting and read cards," Schabb said.

3rd grade Dodge Elementary teacher Diane Meyers says students need the skill to be able to read historic documents.

"They love to do cursive. We've even noticed that some of our students who have some motor delays- sometimes even do better with cursive then manuscript because they are able to keep their pencils down and don't have to life their pencil," Meyers remarked.

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Should students learn cursive? Educators & students weigh in

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BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) - Cursive writing - it has been at the center of heated debate at schools for decades, but after years of trying to erase this skill - the writing is on the wall. Cursive is making a comeback, in fact Texas is the latest state to adopt it for students.

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Starting in the 1970s, and under the recent implementation of the Common Core, a former pillar of elementary education has been largely forgotten. But there's a feeling that learning cursive still has value, even in the age of typing and texting. The NewsHour's April Brown reports from North Carolina, one of a handful of states that's moved to make learning the formal, curlicue letters mandatory.

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Why some schools still insist on lessons in elegant cursive

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Starting in the 1970s, and under the recent implementation of the Common Core, a former pillar of elementary education has been largely forgotten. But there's a feeling that learning cursive still has value, even in the age of typing and texting.