Preserving The Art Of Cursive Handwriting

THIS WEEK, FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SIGNED AN EDUCATION BILL THAT BRINGS SEVERAL REQUIREMENTS TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTS REQUIRING STUDENTS TO LEARN CURSIVE, WRITING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT CURSIVE WRITING WAS A THING OF THE PAST, BUT HANDWRITING IS ACTUALLY TRENDING AND THERE MIGHT EVEN BE SOME MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS FROM PICKING UP THE PEN. LAUREN MOODY BEAR MIGHT JUST BE THE QUEEN OF CURSIVE. SHE IS THE IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN HANDWRITING ANALYSIS FOUNDATION AND SHE ALSO RUNS THE ANNUAL CURSIVE IS COOL CONTEST. LAUREN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FROM WASHINGTON STATE. HAPPY TO BE HERE. THANK YOU. THAT YOU ARE A GRAPH, ALA JUST WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES DO AS A GRAPH ALL ADJUST? >> GRUFFALO JUST TAKES A LOOK AT A PERSON'S HANDWRITING WHATEVER SAMPLE THEY HAVE AVAILABLE AND WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND FIND OUT WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS ARE COMING THROUGH. THE HANDWRITING AND THE REASON THAT IS IS BECAUSE YOUR HANDWRITING IS LIKE AN EKG FOR YOUR PERSONALITY AND YOUR BRAIN. SO EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE, EVERYTHING THAT YOU FEEL AND THINK COMES THROUGH IN YOUR HAND, READY. SO WE USE IT A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS. JURY SELECTION, TENANT SCREENING AND USE IT FOR. IN COURTROOMS TO VERIFY SIGNATURES AND AUTHENTICATION OF THINGS. THEY SUFFER A LOT OF THINGS FOR MY CLIENTS. AND I TEACH IT. >> WHAT DOES THE AMERICAN HANDWRITING ANALYSIS FOUNDATION THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN AN AND WHAT ROLE DO YOU SERVE THERE? >> THE I AM THE COMMITTEE CHAIR FOR THE CAMPAIGN FOR CURSIVE AND A MEMBER, A BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE. SO I DO A VARIETY OF THINGS FOR THE BOARD. I WAS PRESIDENT IN THE LAST TERM. SHILO IS CURRENTLY PRESIDENT AND WHAT WE DO IS WE ENCOURAGE CURSIVE, WRITING INSTRUCTION IN THE SCHOOLS AND AND FOR ADULTS, TOO, BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE GENERATIONS OF ADULTS WHO'VE NEVER LEARNED CURSIVE, WRITING. AND SO IT IS BENEFICIAL. SO WE ENCOURAGE THAT AND WE HELP OUR MEMBERS IN WHATEVER ENDEAVOR THERE DOING FOR THEIR OWN BUSINESS. AND PAULA T. >> THIS IS REALLY YOUR PASSION. WHITE IS HANDWRITING SO IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN AS A SKILL ON BOTH A PERSONAL LEVEL. AND IN OUR SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. >> IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF HOW IT EFFECTS ARE BRAIN FUNCTION. WE HAVE GROUPS. GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE GROWING OLDER, ALL ALL OF US ACTUALLY FROM FROM DAY ONE ARE GROWING OLDER, BUT IT HELPS US TO MAINTAIN OUR MEMORY AND AND OUR SHARPNESS AND WE FOUND THAT THROUGH STUDIES SCHOOL WHEN KIDS ARE TAUGHT IN SCHOOL THERE S A TEASE WHEN THEY GET TO COLLEGE AREA COLLEGE LEVEL ARE BETTER AT THE SCORES ARE BETTER AND THEY MAINTAIN THAT MEMORY. THE SNAPS US IS CREATED IN THEIR GRADE THROUGH CURSIVE, WRITING TO CONNECTING THE LETTERS AND THE LOOPS AND THE CURLS IT. IT'S MAINTAINED WHATEVER THEY'VE LEARNED OF WHATEVER SNAPS A SAVE CREATED IN THE BRAIN. WE'LL STAY WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. SO GIVES HIM AN EDGE THROUGH THE COLLEGE YEARS AND BEYOND. >> IS THERE IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN HANDWRITING AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS AMONG CHILDREN'S? >> THERE IS OF KIDS WHO HAVE CAUGHT WHO ARE TAUGHT IN A KIND OF HANDWRITING, BUT ESPECIALLY CURSE OF WHETHER CONNECTING THE LETTERS. AND THERE IS A IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL. CONNECTED. THIS CONNECTEDNESS FOR BEEN ABLE TO SOCIALIZE ADAPT TO WHATEVER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR LIVES. THERE'S ALSO CAN A STUDIES SHOW THAT AND THEY CAN REMEMBER THERE ARE BETTER AT MATH. SCIENCE ARTS. THOSE SKILLS ARE. REALLY IMPORTANT IN THEIR ACADEMIC. >> NOW I HAVE READ AND YOU TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT AS WE AGE. >> AND IF WE START LOSING THAT ABILITY TO WRITE WELL INFORMED THOSE LETTERS AS WE'RE GETTING OLDER, THAT CAN BE A SIGN THAT WE HAVE DIMINISHED BRAIN FUNCTION AND EVEN CAN BE A AN EARLY WARNING SIGN FOR IT. DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER'S. IS THAT TRUE? ONE OF THE FIRST INDICATORS OF PARKINSON'S. >> BEFORE A PERSON IS DIAGNOSED, OFTENTIMES THEIR HANDWRITING WILL SHOW SIGNS COMPRESSION IN THE HANDWRITING GETS TINY AND THE ROUNDED EDGES THAT WOULD NORMALLY BEING ROUNDED LETTERS GET EDGY AND SO DOCTORS CAN AND HAVE USE IT TOO. SHOW WHETHER OR NOT A PERSON NEEDS FURTHER TESTING. >> THAT'S INTERESTING. WHAT WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE OUR HANDWRITING SKILLS IN EVERYTHING YOU DO REQUIRES ELECTRONIC RESPONSES FROM TEXTING AND E-MAILING TO ANYTHING WE DO ONLINE. SO HOW HOW DO WE KEEP THE SCHOOL ALIVE? WELL, IF WRITE YOUR GROCERY LIST ON A PIECE OF PAPER THAT IS. >> IT'S JUST A SIMPLE LITTLE THING OR TO DO LIST IS A PIECE OF PAPER. I I KNOW I'M I USE MY PHONE TOO FOR MY GROCERY LIST TO CHECK IT OFF AS A GONE STORM. BUT WE CAN DO THINGS LIKE THAT TO DO THIS. WE CAN WRITE LITTLE NOTES TO OUR GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE FRIENDS, SAY CARTER POSTCARD. I LIKE POSTCARDS BECAUSE THEY ONLY HAVE THIS MUCH ROOM THAT YOU'RE GAR THAT THAT YOU NEED TO FILL. SO YOU HAVE A POST CARD. YOU CAN SEND A POSTCARD TO SOMEBODY AND THAT IS HELPFUL IN MAINTAINING YOUR OWN WRITING. YOU JUST DO A DOODLES. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ACTUAL WORDS. IF YOU DO DOODLES LOOPS, UPPER LOOPS AND LOWER LOOPS. AND IF YOU DO, WHILE MUSIC IS PLAYING, IT REALLY HELPS YOU TO WHATEVER'S GOING ON IN YOUR DAY. WHATEVER'S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT. JUST THINK ABOUT THE MUSIC IN THE DOUBLES AND THEN AND PROVES YOUR HANDWRITING AND YOUR. MENTAL >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS WONDERFUL. AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING TIME TODAY TO TALK TO US ABOUT THIS. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. A GOOD WAY TO BOOST YOUR