Classroom

 

The 2026-2027 school year sees a clear win for cursive advocates, with 27 states now mandating or encouraging its instruction, a sharp increase from a decade ago. While critics question its superiority over printing in a digital world, proponents cite research showing handwriting, especially for young children, improves spelling, letter recognition, and memory more effectively than typing. Cursive specifically aids fine motor skills through its fluid strokes. Beyond these cognitive benefits, handwriting offers a crucial screen-free activity, helps decipher historical documents, and is valued as an art form with distinct historical styles. Furthermore, teachers are increasingly using handwritten exams to counter AI-generated work, emphasizing writing as a core thinking proc...