Cursive is making a comeback: Gov. Stitt signs law requiring it to be taught in schools

As Oklahoma kids today grow up with technology integrated into their world, there’s still at least one “old fashioned” thing they’ll learn: cursive handwriting.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law this week requiring that cursive handwriting be taught in state schools.

Two Democrats, Oklahoma City Rep. Jason Lowe and Tulsa Sen. Kevin Matthews, sponsored the bill. Lowe said in a news release that cursive handwriting — as well as grammar, handwriting and spelling — is shown to improve neural and motor function.

Lowe seems to be on target. A 2012 study found handwriting — not typing or tracing letter shapes — activated a unique “reading circuit” in the brain. More recent studies are finding strong evidence to suggest handwriting benefits memory, stronger learning pathways, thinking and fine motor skills, according to Psychology Today.

It’s also helpful to read historical documents and letters from family and friends. Matthews said, “I feel that children should be able to uniquely sign their name, read historical documents and understand what their grandparents and relatives have written in the past.”

Two dozen states have required teaching cursive in schools

Oklahoma joins 23 other states in requiring schools to teach the writing and reading skill, according to mycursive.com, a website that is dedicated to tracking cursive writing requirements in the United States. The law will affect schools beginning next school year. By the end of fifth grade, students should be able to read and legibly write in cursive.

Tony Rose, executive director of educational services at Edmond Public Schools, said the district's third- through fifth-grade teachers already teach some form of cursive. It’s required by the Oklahoma Education Standards. The new legislation puts the standard into the law books.

Rose said cursive writing helps students build their comprehension of language. Even though students live in a digital world, they still need a well-rounded education, he said.

“It puts our students at a disadvantage if they can’t read it or write it,” he said.

In debate over the bill, some suggested cursive writing might be nearing obsolescence.

However, there are signs it may be making a comeback with a growing interest in calligraphy and other forms of decorative handwriting. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are filled with examples of people showing off their handwriting skills, with many young people embracing the idea that handwriting can be a form of self-expression.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Cursive writing bill signed into law for Oklahoma schools