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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 2, 2024 01:58 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Dane Watro |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Mandating Cursive Handwriting (Formerly HB1934) |
| I plan to introduce legislation that requires cursive handwriting to be taught in our schools. In an increasingly digital world, cursive has fallen by the wayside. However, there are compelling cognitive, developmental, and practical reasons for ensuring students have at least a basic grasp of cursive writing. 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 In addition, students also need cursive to read historical documents.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. My legislation will require instruction in cursive handwriting or joined italics to be taught in the appropriate grade levels. At least 24 states have laws on the books requiring cursive to be taught, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Teaching this foundational and functionally relevant skill better equips students for academic and professional endeavors. I urge fellow legislators to join me in supporting this legislation. |
Introduced as HB17
Memo Updated: December 2, 2024 02:03 PM