Do kids need cursive? Depends on who you talk to! Many say that with the rise of technology and the need to prepare children for the digital future, cursive is becoming obsolete.
This article from Memoria Press points out 10 reasons why learning cursive is beneficial. However, I am going to focus on just two of these areas that demonstrate why kids need cursive.
1. Writing in cursive builds neural pathways.
2. Writing in cursive builds retention.
Building Neural Pathways
Scientific research has shown that learning to write by hand in cursive has benefits that extend beyond simply forming letters. Cursive writing forges connections between the brain and body. These connections set the stage for success with fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and retention.
Writing in cursive uses both sides of the brain.
Speech and comprehension develop in the left side of the brain while retention and spatial awareness develop in the right side.
Pictures of brain activity during handwriting show activation in both the left AND right sides of the brain in a way that typing does not!
When typing you only have to push a key, but writing by hand involves multiple finger movements to complete a letter. This incorporates kinesthetic learning and creates muscle memory.
Think of the elements involved in cursive writing. The writer must:
- Position the paper correctly
- Judge how much pressure to apply to the paper with the pen or pencil
- Complete the letters from left to write in one connected stroke.
These elements lead to the development of spatial awareness and motor planning. Consequently, repetition creates neural pathways in the writer’s brain. These neural pathways are important for fine motor skills such as: buttoning, zipping, tying shoes, picking up small objects with thumb and pointer finger, as well as copying and reading words (Cutting Cursive, The Real Cost. Candace Meyer, CEO. Minds-in-Motion, Inc.)
Kids need cursive to develop retention.
Several letters look similar and are easy to confuse when looking at them in pictures (Examples: “b” and “d” “p” and “q.”) However, the physicality of using your fingers to write similar letters such as “b” and “d” allows you to experience these letters in a kinesthetic way.
For this reason, printing in general and learning cursive can be helpful for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Marianne over at Homeschooling with Dyslexia has some great success stories of how teaching cursive has made all the difference for her family and students! If you have a child or students struggling with dyslexia or dysgraphia this article is worth checking out!
If you are looking for a way to teach writing without increasing your class or family’s stress level, many occupational therapists recommend Handwriting Without Tears available here with a great description of why this product is helpful for homeschools, classrooms, and tutoring.
Of course, there are numerous other benefits of learning cursive. However, in my view, the brain/body connections and retention skills are enough reason in themselves to make cursive writing a curriculum staple.
If you’re thinking of homeschooling check out this article How to make homeschooling work for your family.
I would love to hear from you about your experience learning or teaching cursive! Leave a comment below.