Not just pretty handwriting: Cursive instruction improves cognition across subjects | Opinion

With the governor’s signature (no doubt in cursive), California Assembly Bill 446 was passed this October, making cursive instruction in public elementary schools mandatory in grades one through six. As a strong proponent of explicit handwriting instruction in schools, I am excited about this new development.

The new requirement, however, does have me concerned for teachers, students and handwriting itself.

Handwriting instruction was a requirement prior to the passage of AB 446, but the prior requirement referred generally to any style written by hand — not only cursive. This new bill amends the existing standard to specify that cursive instruction be provided “in the appropriate grade levels” between first and sixth grade. AB 446 should be heralded as great news for the education of students and for the good of society, but it will fail to meet its objectives if an intentional path to implementation is not carefully planned.

Let’s consider what has happened to classroom handwriting instruction over the last 20 years. First, the increased academic demands of the Common Core State Standards — and their failure to include a handwriting component — has resulted in most public schools having dropped cursive instruction altogether. Second, teachers have been charged with incorporating digital devices and new software into classroom instruction, forcing them to make difficult decisions about how to allocate their time.

These developments in education have led to an undervaluing and neglect of explicit handwriting instruction in kindergarten and first grade, and virtually no instruction thereafter. The result has been nearly two decades of gradually declining writing skills at all grade levels. Not only have classroom teachers dropped the direct instruction of handwriting, but teacher training programs also no longer include it as part of the syllabus. A closer look reveals a failure to address transcription skills in general handwriting or keyboarding as a necessary part of a child’s educational foundation.

Handwriting is so much more than pretty penmanship and takes much more than simply putting a workbook in front of a student. Teaching a young child to write requires instruction in pencil grip, paper placement, body position, coordination, size and spacing, not to mention letter and number recognition, lowercase and capitals. It requires teacher oversight and regular correction.

All of these may seem inconsequential to those who already know how to write, but without proper instruction, a child will move forward without a crucial learning skill and will not reap the cognitive benefits that writing by hand produces.

In an interview with The Sacramento Bee, AB 446 author Rep. Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) explained that the main goal of the legislation is for students to learn to read and write cursive script, emphasizing the importance of being able to read historical documents. This is a worthwhile goal, but knowing cursive script accomplishes more than simply reading old texts. Handwriting allows a child to literally touch language. Once they can form letters and spell words, students have a tool for problem-solving, honing thoughts and expressing ideas.

Cursive, in particular, aids in making handwriting more efficient, and therefore faster and more legible. When writing becomes automatic, student’s working memory is freed up, allowing for higher order thinking to happen. If, on the other hand, writing is laborious and slow, students will do less of it.

AB 446 is slated to go into effect in January of 2024. Teachers are in the middle of a school year and likely not equipped with the proper resources — let alone the training — needed to teach cursive. Many teachers themselves do not write in cursive. Children who are expected to learn it will need to see cursive modeled for them and will need more time in the day developing this new writing style.

If this new requirement is to meet its intended goals, schools will need to determine when and how cursive instruction will be delivered. Done well, the benefits of handwriting will not simply be pretty letters, but cognitive improvement across all subjects and grades.