Cursive writing sees revival in American school instruction
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Youngsters practice cursive handwriting in New York. Cursive writing is looping back into style in schools. [Photo/Agencies] |
Malliotakis also notes that students who can't read cursive will never be able to read historical documents.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when cursive writing began to fall out of favor. But cursive instruction was in decline long before 2010, when most states adopted the Common Core curriculum standards, which say nothing about handwriting.
Some script skeptics question the advantage of cursive writing over printing and wonder whether teaching it takes away from other valuable instruction.
Anne Trubek, author of The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting, says schools should not require cursive mastery any more than they should require all children to play a musical instrument.
"I think students would all benefit from learning the piano," she says. "But I don't think schools should require all students take piano lessons."
At PS 166 in Queens, Principal Jessica Geller says there was never a formal decision over the years to banish the teaching of cursive.
"We just got busy with the addition of technology, and we started focusing on computers," she says.
Third-graders at the school beamed as they prepared for a cursive lesson. The 8-year-olds got their markers out, straightened their posture and flexed their wrists. Then it was "swoosh, curl, swoosh, curl," as teacher Christine Weltner guided the students in writing linked-together c's and a's.
Norzim Lama says he prefers cursive writing to printing "'cause it looks fancy". Camille Santos says cursive is "actually like doodling a little bit".
Araceli Lazaro says: "It's a really fascinating way to write, and I really think that everybody should learn about writing in script."
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