Cursive lines

by Ashley Fairchild 8

Forty-five out of our 50 states have removed cursive writing from their curriculum. Recent research has gathered data showing the importance of cursive writing. In fact, according to Montessorium, “In terms of students’ cognitive development, research has shown that handwriting skills can increase brain activation, impact performance across all academic subjects, provide a foundation for higher-order skills, and influence reading, writing, language, and critical thinking.”

So, why is cursive handwriting good for your brain? Nowadays, Finnish schools have gone completely digital and have skipped handwriting training altogether. According to Audrey van der Meer, a neuropsychologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, “We risk having one or more generations lose the ability to write by hand.”

Right here at Eldo Middle School, sixth-grade English teacher Mrs. Mays is teaching cursive handwriting.

Mrs. Mays said, “Cursive is important because handwriting teaches the student to slow down on their writing. It helps students in the future to sign important documents like checks, applications, etc.”

The students thought it was going to be hard to learn cursive, but Mrs. Mays said, “They caught on quickly, and it was pretty easy for students to learn.”

Most of them were excited to do something that will help them in the future.

Ali Morin (6) said, “It will help me in the future because for me to have a job, I have to have a signature, and it helps me write nicer.”

Some students prefer normal writing over cursive, while others like doing cursive because it helps improve their writing skills.

Tessa O’Banion (6) said, “It makes your writing fancier and neater, and though it has been easier for me, other students do enjoy cursive writing. They think it is fun and even though sometimes it is hard, but we always have Mrs. Mays here.”

Some students say it’s a challenging task, while others find it fun and easy, among other opinions.

Mrs. Mays said, “I hope that students will put cursive writing to work one day.”