A new law will require Pennsylvania students to learn cursive handwriting in school.
House Bill 17, signed by Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township earlier this month, received a favorable 42-5 vote on February 3. It adds printing, joined italics and cursive to the writing curriculum and takes effect April 12.
Representative Dane Watro introduced the bill in 2024. In a memo, he claimed that “there are compelling cognitive, developmental, and practical reasons for ensuring students have at least a basic grasp of cursive writing.”
From the memo:
Cognitive Benefits: Research shows that learning cursive activates areas of the brain involved in executive function, fine motor skills, and working memory. The linked, flowing motions of cursive writing help reinforce neural connections and build hand-eye coordination in developing brains. Students who learn cursive may show improved language fluency, enhanced creativity, and better recall.
Supporting Developmental Milestones: Around third grade, students develop the fine motor skills required for legible cursive writing. Learning cursive coincides with important milestones in a child’s physiological development. Skipping cursive robs students of the chance to master this age-appropriate challenge.
Practical Applications: While digital devices are pervasive, many important documents require signatures or other handwriting. Recently, Nevada’s Secretary of State attributed its higher numbers of problematic mail ballots to young voters without developed signatures due to diminishing handwriting instruction. In addition, students also need cursive to read historical documents. 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.
“At least 24 states have laws on the books requiring cursive”, Watro wrote.
According to The Pennsylvania Capital-Star‘s article on the new law, “most states, including Pennsylvania, dropped their cursive writing requirements after switching to the Common Core standards, an initiative launched in 2010 to improve consistency in education requirements between the states.”
“Many schools have continued to include cursive writing in their curriculum, while others will need time and support to incorporate it into their schedules. Our priority is to provide practical assistance and clear expectations so teachers can focus on students and learning,” Pennsylvania Department of Education spokesperson Erin James said.
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