Cursive Handwriting Instruction Now Required In PA Schools

PENNSYLVANIA — Young people across the state used to writing messages on a laptop, iPad or phone are about to get introduced to a form of communication that perhaps some might consider obsolete: cursive handwriting.

Gov. Josh Shapiro on Wednesday signed into law a bill that mandates that cursive, a style of writing in which all the letters connect, be taught in Pennsylvania schools. The new law, which goes into effect in April, does not specify at which grade level that cursive writing education should be introduced.

The bill was introduced by state Rep. Dane Watro, a Luzerne County Republican who contends that there are compelling cognitive, developmental and practical reasons for requiring students have at least a basic grasp of cursive handwriting.

In a memo to colleagues prior to the bill's passage, Watro asserted that research indicates that learning cursive writing activates areas of the brain involved in executive function, motor skills and working memory.

"The linked, flowing motions of cursive writing help reinforce neural connections and build hand-eye coordination in developing brains," Watro stated. "Students who learn cursive may show improved language fluency, enhanced creativity, and better recall."

Watro also contended that a growing cursive illiteracy poses a threat to accessing and comprehending key historical sources, such as the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

"Mandating cursive writing education will allow students to actively read seminal documents that shaped our democracy which is vital for an informed, engaged citizenry in the generations to come," he stated.

At least 24 states have laws on the books requiring cursive instruction, including New Jersey.