cursive handwriting | comicphonics for early readers

Category Archives: cursive handwriting

Cursive is on the upswing

Posted on February 19, 2024 | Leave a comment

The number of states requiring that cursive writing be taught is increasing, according to MyCursive.com. IN 2016, 14 states required teaching cursive. Today that number is 21.

Why is that important for students learning to read? Brain studies have shown a positive connection between writing in cursive and reading. (More about that in my next blog).

To find out if your state requires cursive, scroll down.

AK: No.

AL: Yes, cursive must be taught in grades 2 and 3.

AR: Yes, cursive must be taught before students leave grade 3.

AZ: Yes, students must be taught and must master cursive by grade 5.

CA: Yes, students are taught cursive in grades 1 to 6.

CO: No.

CT: No.

DC: No.

DE: Yes, cursive must be taught by the end of grade 4.

FL: Yes, cursive must be taught between grades 3 and 5.

GA: Yes, public schools must teach cursive in grades 3 and 4.

HI: No.

IA: No.

ID: Yes, public schools must teach cursive.

IL: Yes, public schools must teach cursive by the end of grade 5.

IN: Yes, public schools must teach cursive.

KS: Yes, the Kansas Board of Education does require teaching cursive.

KY: Yes, public schools must teach cursive beginning in grade 1.

LA: Yes, cursive must be taught beginning in grade 3.

MA: Yes, cursive must be taught beginning in grade 3.

MD: Yes, cursive must be taught between grades 2 and 5.

ME: No.

MI: No.

MN: No.

MO: No.

MS: Yes, cursive must be taught between grades 2 and 8.

MT: No.

NC: Yes, cursive must be taught to public school students.

NE: No.

ND: No.

NH: Yes, cursive must be taught to public school students.

NJ: No.

NM: No.

NV: No.

NY: No.

OH: Yes, public schools must teach cursive.

OK: Yes, cursive must be taught in grades 4 and 5.

OR: No. Child writing with right hand.

PA: No.

RI: No.

SC: Yes, public schools must teach cursive by the end of grade 5.

SD: No.

TN: Yes, public schools must teach cursive.

TX: Yes, cursive must be taught in grades 2 and 3.

UT: No.

VA: Yes, public schools must teach cursive between grades 2 and 5.

VT: No.

WA: No.

WI: No.

WV: Yes, public schools must teach cursive between grades 2 and 4.

WY: No.

Printing, cursive writing and keystroking

Posted on July 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

Is there a best sequence in which to learn printing, cursive writing and key stroking? Yes, according to research.

clip of child holding pencil upside down

First children should learn to print letters, using either a pen or pencil, from toddler years through second grade.

Then, during third and fourth grade, children should learn and switch to cursive handwriting.

Beginning in fifth grade, children should learn to keystroke.

This sequence is connected to how the brain of a child develops.

Holding a pencil, forming letters correctly, printing neatly on a horizontal line and using correct spacing to form words is a complex skill requiring coordination of many processes. By four or five years old, most children are capable of this.

Around fourth grade, using cursive writing seems to help children with spelling and composing. The reason is not clear, but researchers speculate that joining letters together in cursive writing helps children to form words from individual letters.

When a child learns to type properly on a keyboard, the fingers from both hands are used, unlike when handwriting. Using both hands might activate connective tissue in the brain which joins different parts of the brain together to perform a task.

(Common Core Standards recommend that children learn to print in first and second grades, but learning to write in cursive is not recommended. As a result, cursive writing is no longer taught in many schools. The Common Core Standards recommend learning to use a keyboard.)