Opinion
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enior ach agpacan practices riting cursi e in the CC on ec. 2. Photo by John Yun.
Writing form diminishes Cursi e brings benefits to students that use of computers lack John Yun
S
yunjoh000@hsestudents.org
lowly accepted by America’s education system, computers have begun to rule the nation. Classrooms now incorporate technology to allow students to easily access resources for the subjects that they are learning. However, as typing has become more prevalent, writing has diminished - especially cursive. According to the New York Times, cursive ended when the Common Core standards stopped requiring public elementary schools to teach cursive in 2010. Although there have been several states, like Ohio and Texas, that have started to re-incorporate cursive into the curriculum, there needs to be an increase in the p sh to teach c rsi e. This year, efforts were made to pass a bill requiring Indiana schools to teach c rsi e, b t it seems that efforts were f tile. Cursive writing helps develop many skills and aids in early childhood development, according to Concordia-University Portland. Script ses a different part of the brain than typing on a computer. Learning to write in cursive d ring an early age helps impro e fine motor skill development while also helping students familiarize themselves with the alphabet. Furthermore, according to the New York Times, children learn to read faster when they write by hand. Also, they are able to come up with more ideas and better remember the information that they have learned. So, writing by hand has benefits that the se of comp ters lacks. cript also helps with o cial doc ments as
students grow older and embark on a career. Having a cursive signature is essential for signing legal documents such as contracts and checks, and it also helps prevent forging, which could be used to steal money, enter personal accounts and much more. Learning print and cursive writing may also help improve a student’s handwriting, allowing them to be more confident in what they are writing or signing off on. eople may easily dge someone based on the quality and legibility of their handwriting, so incorporating cursive into the curriculum will allow students to improve their handwriting and their signatures. It also helps students with disabilities like dyslexia. According to PBS, cursive helps them hone their hand-eye coordination, memory and fine motor s ills. The ow of c rsi e helps dysle ic st dents differentiate between easily confused characters like “b,” “d,” “p” and “q.” In an era that has become more technologybased, it is essential that people maintain their ability to write and read cursive. Not only does c rsi e ha e beneficial impacts on the development of the brain but it also helps maintain a connection to the past. Cursive was used in many historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, that are the very foundation of the nation in which we live. Cursive should be reinstituted in all public schools in order to preserve America’s history and aid in the development of the youth.
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