Starting this year, California grade school students are required to learn cursive handwriting, after the skill had fallen out of fashion in the computer age. Assembly Bill 446, sponsored by former elementary school teacher Sharon Quirk-Silva and signed into law in October, requires handwriting instruction for the 2.6 million Californians in grades one to six, roughly ages 6 to 12, and cursive lessons for the "appropriate" grade levels - generally considered to be third grade and above. Experts say learning cursive improves cognitive development, reading comprehension and fine motor skills, among other benefits.

FULLERTON, California (Reuters) - A generation of children who learned to write on screens is now going old school.

Starting this year, California grade school students are required to learn cursive handwriting, after the skill had fallen out of fashion in the computer age.

Assembly Bill 446, sponsored by former elementary school teacher Sharon Quirk-Silva and signed into law in October, requires handwriting instruction for the 2.6 million Californians in grades one to six, roughly ages 6 to 12, and cursive lessons for the “appropriate” grade levels - generally considered to be third grade and above.

Experts say learning cursive improves cognitive development, reading comprehension and fine motor skills, among other benefits. Some educators also find value in teaching children to read historic documents and family letters from generations past.

    • @[email protected]
      10•11 months ago

      I disagree but you are entitled to your opinion. But just because something is beautiful doesn’t mean it needs to be forced on our already hugely overworked children. This is absurd.

    • @[email protected]
      -2•11 months ago

      The utilitarian value of both art and cursive is indistinguishable from zero. Neither are “worthless”, because there are non-utilitarian ways of establishing value.

      It would be more accurate to say that both art and cursive are “useless” than “worthless”.