Does your kid know cursive? It's coming back as a requirement to CA schools

[indigovalley]

2. Do we really need this?

I'm a newly retired special ed. teacher and my personal view is that cursive writing is just not needed anymore. Its not that there shouldn't be any handwriting instruction in school. Students need to be able to write words by hand--that is a safety skill and a communication skill. But it does not have to be in the style of cursive (and cursive is just a style). Printed letters and words allow you to communicate just as well and banks will accept a persons printed signature as official (I have done this). I have gone through my entire life of 66 years, including earning four college degrees, and never used cursive except to sign a check. So really, what is the purpose? As a teacher I know it would take up time in the curriculum that is better spend on other things. Keyboarding is more essential these days then cursive writing. My high school students would tell me they can't read cursive which, of course, makes sense because no one is writing letters to each other in this type of writing anymore. So just my two cents...I'm sure there are those who have pro arguments to continue cursive instruction but I personally just don't see the benefit.

I just want to add as its been mentioned. Writing does indeed build fine motor skills and some advocates say this is the reason to keep cursive writing in schools. Learning block letters also builds fine motor skills as does drawing and art. Maybe the question needs to be if the loss of cursive actually impacts those skills enough that the loss of this instruction negatively impacts students progress.