Iowa requires schools to teach cursive handwriting
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Cursive instruction will be required at Iowa's public schools starting in the upcoming school year under new standards adopted by the Iowa Department of Education in June.
Why it matters: While some argue cursive is outdated, any focus on handwriting is a positive move for improving literacy rates, Shawn Datchuk, Iowa Reading Research Center director, says.
State of play: The new standards approved by the State Board of Education require learning manuscript writing, aka print, starting in kindergarten.
- They also require second grade students to begin learning cursive and form all cursive letters "efficiently and proportionately" by third grade.
Flashback: In 2010, most states, including Iowa, adopted national "Common Core" education standards that moved from emphasizing handwriting to keyboard skills.
- Cursive writing was completely cut.
Yes, but: There's a close link between early reading and writing skills, Datchuk tells Axios.
- Writing draws on knowledge of the alphabet, including the name, sound and formation of each letter. Handwriting is a cognitively demanding task, requiring kids to use their temporary "working memory."
- Once they become fluent in that skill, it moves into kids' long-term memory, which frees up their ability to process and learn other skills, like reading.
Caveat: There's no clear research that cursive lessons have any more benefits than manuscript writing, Datchuk says.
The big picture: The trend of requiring cursive again is growing nationwide, despite kids using technology like iPads and Chromebooks at younger ages and teachers complaining that they're already time-strapped, EdWeek reports.
- As of June 2024, 24 states (excluding Iowa) required cursive writing, according to cursive advocacy site mycursive.com.
Be smart: The University of Iowa reading center released a free program this month designed to help with handwriting instruction for younger kids.