Should kids still learn cursive? New laws mandate handwriting in school
Many schools now limit handwriting instruction, noting children are better off preparing for the real world, where nimble texting thumbs and quick typing fingers create most written communication.
But many kids are finding cursive firmly back on their lesson plan.
In Alabama, Lexi's Law — which requires public school students to be able to "write legibly in cursive" by the end of third grade — went into effect this week. State Rep. Dickie Drake sponsored the bill after he was struck by something his oldest granddaughter Lexi said.
A desire to learn "real writing" by Lexi Drake led her grandfather, state Rep. Dickie Drake, to sponsor a bill requiring public schools in Alabama to show they're teaching cursive.
"She was in the first grade and wanted to learn 'real writing,'" Drake told TODAY Parents. "After much research of schools in the state of Alabama, I found that it was not being taught all over the state — hit and miss. … This bill is for all my grandchildren and others just like them."
Cursive writing has always been a requirement in the state, but the new law calls for schools to certify they are meeting proficiency standards, said Erica Pippins Franklin, a spokeswoman for the Alabama State Department of Education. The goal is for kids to not only be able to write in script, but also to read historical letters and documents, she added.
There was a similar sentiment in Louisiana, where Gov. John Bel Edwards in June signed a bill requiring cursive to be taught in public schools starting in the 2017/2018 school year. Instruction must start by Cursive writing: Alabama law mandates handwriting in school - TODAY.com: