Should schools be required to teach cursive writing?

Debate!

Should schools be required to teach cursive writing?

BOB BIRD—AP

Some states have passed laws that require students to learn cursive in school.

Are you learning cursive writing in school? Many schools no longer teach this form of handwriting. Since students often do their work on computers and tablets in schools, a number of school districts now offer keyboarding classes instead.

But, cursive may be making a comeback. In June, Louisiana passed a law requiring that all public schools begin teaching cursive by third grade and continue through 12th grade. Arkansas and Texas also have laws requiring cursive. Other other states and local school districts are exploring or have passed similar legislation, as well.

Supporters of teaching cursive say students need to learn it to be able to read historical documents, such as the U.S. Constitution. Without knowing cursive, students won’t be able to do research with literary papers and archival collections, according to Valerie Hotchkiss, a library director at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Practicing cursive also helps kids learn fine motor skills, and is faster and more efficient than printed handwriting, supporters say.

But opponents think it’s more important for students to use their time in school learning technology skills and focusing on other subjects. “There are few instances in which handwriting is a necessity, and there will be even fewer by the time today’s second graders graduate,” Anne Trubek, the author of a new book on handwriting, wrote recently in The New York Times.

What do you think? Should schools be required to teach cursive? Or is it no longer necessary for students to learn this form of writing?