
Is cursive still essential? NJ may require a comeback in schools
⚫ A bill calls for mandatory cursive instruction in elementary schools
⚫ Sponsors say cursive encourages cognitive development
⚫ Critics argue this move should be decided locally, not through a bill
TRENTON — Teaching cursive has not been part of New Jersey's school standards for more than a decade. But in a world dominated by keyboards and touchscreens, learning such a skill is absolutely essential, according to a piece of legislation moving through Trenton.
A Senate committee on Thursday unanimously approved a measure that would require public school boards of education to include instruction on how to read and write in cursive, for students in grades kindergarten through fifth.
Such instruction would be designed to ensure that students can both read and write in cursive by the end of the third grade, the bill says.
"Cursive writing is not merely about handwriting — it's about cognitive development, the motor skills," said Sen. Angela McKnight, D-Hudson. "Moreover, it's a key to unlocking our history — our Declaration of Independence, historical letters, and some legal documents are written in cursive."
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Cursive was omitted from the Garden State's common core standards in 2010. But over the past decade, more than 20 states have implemented rules to teach cursive in schools.
"Cursive is a timeless and necessary skill that we must incorporate into our curriculum again," said Sen. Shirley Turner, D-Mercer.
Critics: Schools should decide, not lawmakers
Turner's bill passed the Senate Education Committee on Thursday by a vote of 5-0, despite opposition voiced by school groups.
"We do believe that the decision on whether or not to offer cursive instruction at the elementary level should continue to be a local decision, as it has been for the last 15 years," Jennie Lamon, of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, told lawmakers.
Lamon said schools are offering some type of cursive instruction anyway — it could be part of language arts instruction, or it may be included in a financial literacy segment.
"Teachers have so much on their plates and we have to be concerned that when we add something to their plates, we may risk or diminish how much we focus on something else that the district and the community value," Jonathan Pushman, with the New Jersey School Boards Association, told the Senate Education Committee.
If the legislation were to pass both the Senate and Assembly and be signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, the change would take effect in the first full school year following the signing.
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