The Return of Cursive Writing

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS RECENTLY SIGNED A SWEEPING EDUCATION LAW. IT INCLUDES A MANDATE THAT STUDENTS MUST DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN READING AND WRITE IN CURSIVE BY THE END OF 5TH GRADE. WGCU REPORTER YOUN JOO PARK EXPLORES THE CURRENT STATE OF CURSIVE AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN EDUCATION. >> BASED ON NEW LEGISLATION SIGNED BY GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS, STUDENTS IN 3RD THROUGH 5TH GRADES ACROSS ALL FLORIDA PUBLIC SCHOOLS MUST SHOW MASTERY IN CURSIVE, WRITING, YES, CURSIVE WRITING IS BACK STARTING THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND BY THE LOOKS OF IT, YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT SOME KIDS HAD SEEN A DINOSAUR. PROBABLY INFILL LOT. >> FOR ME, IT TAKES TOO LONG AS LIGHT LOOKS AND IT TAKES LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS. >> OTHERS ARE READY TO TACKLE THIS CHALLENGE. >> I SAY IT'S NEXT. >> AND THE CURSE OF WRITING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STAPLE IN VANESSA MS AUGUST, 3RD GRADE CLASSROOM IN THE COUNTY'S ALVA SCHOOLS. SHE EXPLAINS THAT. ALTHOUGH CURSIVE WRITING STRIKES, FEAR IN THE HEARTS OF STUDENTS, SHE HAS A SYSTEM IN PLACE. >> WE START WITH TRACING THE LETTERS AND THEN THEY START WITH WRITING THE LETTERS ON THEIR OWN. WE'LL USE PLATO AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF MODELING CLAY FOR THEM TO WORK THE HAND MUSCLES TO GET THEM STRONGER AND THEY'LL USE THAT TO ALSO FORM LETTERS ON THEIR DESK IS A PART OF LATE MORNING WORK ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN PRACTICING IT ENOUGH, WE'LL START COPYING SENTENCES DOWN. AND USUALLY THE SENTENCE IS OUR FUN. WELL, OUR SUMMIT GROWTH FACTS THAT THE KIDS REALLY FIND FUNNY AND THE MORNING TO COPY DOWN. >> IN HER YEARS OF TEACHING IS ON US AS BUILDING UP STUDENTS, TACTILE STAMINA, LISA FOUNDATION FOR WRITING SUCCESS. WHEN YOU'RE ON AN IPAD OR PHONE OR A TABLET. >> AND YOU'RE JUST SCROLLING ON THERE. YOU'RE NOT USING THE SAME TYPES OF MUSCLES IN YOUR HAND. SO A LOT OF KIDS BECOME VERY FATIGUED WITH ACTUAL HANDWRITING. SO THEY BUILDING UP THEIR MUSCLES. THAT REALLY HELPS THEM TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT WITH IT. >> THE NEW FLORIDA LAW REQUIRES THAT ALL PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FOLLOW THIS MANDATE. CURSIVE WRITING HAS BEEN RESUSCITATED FROM 2010 WHEN IT WAS DROPPED AS PART OF THE NATIONAL COMMON CORE STANDARDS, THE CURRICULUM GAP FOR OVER A DECADE HAS LED CURSIVE WRITING TO FALL BY THE WAYSIDE NATIONALLY. IT'S 10 DURING ROUTINE TASKS SUCH AS SIGNING FORMS AND CHECKS. ACCORDING TO A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, CHILLY TOM SIC. SHE SAYS ANOTHER HURDLE IS ASKED. SOME PARENTS DON'T HAVE CURSIVE WRITING SKILLS THEMSELVES. WHEN I TAUGHT PRESCHOOL BACK IN GEORGIA, I HAD A LOT OF PARENTS THAT THEY WOULD, BUT IT'S A PARENT'S SIGNATURE. THEY WILL PUT THEIR NAME BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE SIGNATURE CAUSE. THE CAN CURSE OF. THIS KNOWLEDGE. DEFICIT IS EVIDENT TO ACTIVISTS LIKE VICTORIA JONES WHO STARTED OF CURSIVE, WRITING CLASS AT THE FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY, SPECIFICALLY TO COUNTER A WORRISOME TREND AMONG BUDDING RESEARCHERS. >> EVEN DOCUMENTS THAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE QUITE CLEAN. WELL WRITTEN IN CURSIVE DOCUMENTS A DECADE AGO, EVERY STUDENT IN THE CLASSROOM FOR MOST STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO RE IT. PRETTY SIMPLY. ISN'T THERE A READING TYPEWRITTEN DOCUMENT AND NOW? BUT THERE'S A VISIBLE STRUGGLE. JONES SAYS THE CONTINUED PRESERVATION OF AMERICAN HISTORY. >> DEPENDS ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF CURSIVE WRITING. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AMERICAN HISTORY, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO READ CURSIVE LIKE ENGLISH CURSIVE SCRIPT. >> MOST CORRESPONDENTS, EVEN OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, LETTERS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS OR INCREASE IT UP. AND THROUGH THE 1980'S 90'S, EVEN EARLY 2, THOUSANDS. >> SO IF YOU CAN'T READ CURSIVE, YOU'RE KIND OF CREATE E THERE'S A BARRIER. THEN TO ACCESSING THAT IT MAY SHUN. >> ARCHIVISTS ARE BEGINNING TO TRANSCRIBE HANDWRITTEN HISTORICAL MATERIALS. BUT GIVEN THE EXTENT AND SCOPE OF COLLECTIONS, THIS IS NATURALLY A GLACIAL UNDERTAKING DUE TO A HERCULEAN RESOURCES REQUIRED FOR TRANSCRIPTIONS IN CONTRAST TO WORKAROUNDS FOR SOCIETY'S LACK OF CURSIVE, WRITING KNOWLEDGE, TOM 6 AS THE BUILDUP OF THE SCALE WITH SAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE'S LIVES EASIER. >> I THINK PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE HOW LONG IT TAKES TO PRINT LETTERS AND TO LEARN CURSIVE. AND YOU COULD SEE HOW MUCH FASTER RIGHT THERE. AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO STUDY THE MENSA, LIZ, MUCH TEACHING CURSIVE WRITING IN GREAT SCHOOLS MEANS THAT KIDS CAN GET AN EARLY START TO DEVELOPING LONG-RANGE CIVIC