Youngstown Daily Legal News

Cursive supporters say it's the write stuff

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News
Published: February 2, 2016

A wave of interested parties have put their support of cursive handwriting in print.

“As a former teacher with the Youngstown City Schools, where I taught in the social studies and law enforcement departments for 31 years, I found it central to education that children learn the importance of cursive writing,” said Joseph Nuzzi Jr. in proponent testimony for House Bill 146.

The proposed legislation, jointly sponsored by Reps. Cheryl Grossman, R-Grove City, and Andrew Brenner, R-Powell, would require school districts to provide handwriting instruction to K-5 students.

Nuzzi, who described penmanship as a lost art, said cursive handwriting still has a place in today’s society.

“I see no reason to do away with it ... without having first established empirical research to back such a premise,” he said, adding that it would be shameful if future generations could not read or understand historical journal entries, manuscripts and original writings.

“Imagine, too, how much knowledge and insight would have been lost by simply not understanding cursive writing. And how about those letters written by airmen, sailors and soldiers from the front lines of war? What valuable lessons learned by reading such letters would have been lost if cursive writing was never taught?”

The bill, which is before the House Education Committee, calls for students to develop the ability to print letters and words legibly by third grade and create readable documents using legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade.

Virginia Wise Berninger, a University of Washington professor, also campaigned for the proposal.

“Research shows the importance of systematically teaching handwriting and using it to spell words and express ideas in written language, beginning in kindergarten and continuing to fifth grade, and periodic handwriting tune-ups in the upper grades,” she said.

Berninger went on to say evidence indicates there’s a connection between cursive handwriting and improved spelling and composition.

“Not only systematic handwriting instruction but also systematic spelling instruction is being left behind in the computer era,” she said.

“However, considerable research shows the critical importance of systematic spelling instruction, beginning in first grade and continuing through fifth grade, for developing writing skills needed to complete written assignments and tests related to standards.”

Author and columnist Liz Thompson of Grove City told committee members that writing cursive develops eye-hand coordination and utilizes motor control skills.

“Learning cursive was not easy for me and I don’t think it was easy for many of my fellow students in the 1950s. Learning anything new is challenging and that’s a good thing,” she said.

“Challenges push us to try new things, push our limits and see what is possible when we give the effort. Today, sorry to say, many young people don’t value the written word; not even on their computers or the Internet.”

Like cursive writing, Thompson noted that music, art and drama are on a tenuous thread in schools.

“Many of these teachers are holding their breath year-to-year wondering if they’ll continue to be able to teach students to play instruments, sing/read music, perform on stage and learn visual arts,” she said.

“When a school district has financial problems, these are the first things cut. Not sports. Never sports. Now cursive writing has either been cut or it’s proposed to be eliminated from schools.”

Thompson closed by saying the basics of education still work.

“Without a calculator, can our young people do math? Can they read and write when the power goes off? Do they know how to write a thank you note and address an envelope and mail a letter? I certainly hope so,” she said.

“Teach them keyboarding, sure. But teach them the basics they can use no matter where they are and what their circumstances.”

Carol Armann of Marietta also testified in support of HB 146.

“As an occupational therapist who has worked for over 33 years with students who are experiencing problems with handwriting, I believe that I have unique understanding and experience with regard to handwriting instruction as well as legibility of written information,” she said.

“It seems that since education started focusing on literacy and encouraging children to write without constraints for spelling and proper handwriting, I have seen an increase in referrals for students with handwriting difficulties.”

Armann said the increase includes students who cannot provide a cursive signature to sign documents.

“Handwriting is not only an academic task that requires direct instruction, but a neurological process that activates the left brain, specifically the word and letter recognition region,” she said.

“This activation seems to set up the brain for reading acquisition. This activation is only seen in fMRI studies through the repetitive movements of the thumb and fingers performed during the handwriting process. This activation is not seen with tracing letters or keyboarding.”

Neurologically, Armann said children are not “hardwired” to write in cursive.

“Cursive writing is ‘software’ that needs to be programmed through direct instruction,” she said.

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