Since technology took over classrooms, many students see cursive writing as something ancient, like Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Even though a lot of schools have stopped teaching cursive, it’s starting to make a comeback as some schools are changing their approach.
This change might be partly because of a viral post on social media where a teacher criticized a seven-year-old girl for using her cursive signature on an assignment. Keep reading to find out more about this student and why schools are reintroducing cursive writing!
Research has shown that writing by hand can help with spelling, memory, and understanding concepts better. Scientists believe that the slow process of writing letters and words boosts brain activity, giving people more time to think and learn.
Ramesh Balasubramaniam, a neuroscientist from the University of California, explains that handwriting and typing use the brain in different ways. He points out that even though the actions of writing and typing look alike, handwriting activates the brain much more. This means that when you write by hand, certain parts of your brain are more engaged, which could lead to some unique benefits.
Boosts brain acitivity
As technology advances, we rely on it more and more, but experts believe that we shouldn’t forget about handwriting in this digital world.
Balasubramaniam emphasizes that schools should include more writing activities in their lessons.
A recent study titled “Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: a high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom” supports this idea. It found that handwriting, instead of just swiping or typing, enhances brain connections, especially when it comes to learning and remembering information.
Audrey van der Meer, one of the main authors of the 2024 study, says that when we write by hand, a lot of our brain gets involved.
Van der Meer, who teaches neuropsychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, explains that handwriting helps both kids and adults learn and remember things better. In contrast, typing mostly involves simple, repetitive motions that make us focus more on speed than on understanding.
The study suggests that replacing handwriting with typing in schools might not be a good idea because it could hurt how we learn.
In 2010, some states made a mistake by adopting the Common Core standards, which don’t require students to learn cursive writing.
This decision has led to a rise in functional illiteracy in the U.S., where people struggle with basic tasks because their handwriting is hard to read.
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A 2021 study found that an incredible 70% of Americans have a hard time reading notes or reports from their coworkers, and 45% say they can’t even read their own handwriting.
The survey showed that people often misread things like shopping lists, messages to coworkers, birthday cards, and thank you notes.
Some people mentioned that not being able to write in cursive makes signing important papers really stressful.
Kimberly Jacovino from Monroe, Connecticut, shared with the Daily Mail that her 20-year-old granddaughter has a hard time signing a check. She believes it’s really important for schools to teach cursive writing again.
To help keep cursive alive, 24 states have decided to bring it back into classrooms by 2024 after previously taking it out of the curriculum.
However, not every school is on board with teaching cursive, and some even tell kids not to use it.
For example, in 2015, a seven-year-old named Alyssa turned in her homework about short vowels and got in trouble for writing her name in cursive. Her teacher marked her paper with a note in red pen saying, “Stop writing your name in cursive. You have had several warnings.”
Alyssa’s mom’s friend, Brenda Hatcher, took a picture of the assignment and posted it on Facebook, but that post has since been removed.
Hatcher shared the picture with the caption, “Spread this everywhere… Alyssa is 7!!! Her mom is a military veteran, and she took the time to teach her little girl how to write in cursive.”
As reported by PopSugar, this event took place in Kansas, where there isn’t a law that requires students to learn cursive writing.
The article mentions that people on social media had mixed opinions about the situation. Some felt the teacher was wrong for scolding the child, while others believed the child should “follow the rules.”
What do you think about cursive writing? We’d love to hear your opinion, and don’t forget to share this story so we can get everyone talking!
