Cursive Writing Coming Back to New York Schools?

Should all schools in New York start teaching kids to write in cursive again?

If you were born in a year before 2000 you probably remember having to learn how to write in cursive during your school days. The once popular form of writing was once a required skill that all kids had to learn in order to move up to the next grade.

Cursive Writing in New York Schools

If I remember correctly the elementary school I attended on Long Island started teaching us how to write in cursive in the third grade. Back then the writing lessons happened in my reading & writing class and I can remember having the hardest time trying to get it right. The letter Q was almost impossible....LOL! Eventually I grasped it and was able to move up to the 4th grade!! Yay me!!

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Kids in school today can't relate to the "cursive curse" because nowadays most New York schools aren't required to teach it anymore. Since 2010 most New York schools stopped teaching kids the "fancy handwriting" (some private schools still teach it) when the Common Core State Standards for English removed it from the required curriculum for K-12 education in the United States. Since then many have wondered if it would ever make a comeback.

Cursive Writing Back in Schools

A recent look at cursive writing shows that some states have once again made it a requirement for students in many public schools across the country. As of July 2024, 24 states require children to take the writing class including California, Iowa, Texas, and Arizona according to the website My Cursive.

Currently, New York is NOT one of the states that requires it but some are hoping it will be brought back to schools soon.

Pro's & Con's Cursive Writing

Some say that handwriting skill is outdated in a world filled with keyboards and smart devices and teachers already have more than enough curriculum to squeeze into a school day. That was one of the reasons it was eliminated from the required curriculum but now some experts are saying it should be brought back to schools due to the benefits that come along with the skill. Some studies suggest that handwriting can significantly help with learning in both kids and adults, including with reading, comprehending, recalling words and meaning, skillful writing, and mathematics according to Live Now Fox.

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What do you think? Should cursive be reintroduced to all New York schools and be something students are required to learn? Let us know through our station app above.