This letter, mailed between two Ohio cities in 1837, was sent before stamps or postmarks were in use.
© JON BAKER/TIMES-REPORTER / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Trenton, NJ) – For most people, writing things out by hand is increasingly a thing of the past. In this era of digital devices like phones and tablets — fewer people write out notes or letters — and typing has become the dominant form of transcribing information. But if a group of New Jersey lawmakers have their way, kids could soon be writing things out by hand during school — because teaching cursive or script may be making a comeback.
In 2010, writing in cursive was eliminated from New Jersey’s common core standards. But lawmakers have introduced legislation — and a State Senate committee unanimously approved it last week — that would require public schools to teach cursive. It would apply to both reading and writing script, for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Lawmakers backing the move say teaching cursive is an important exercise that stimulates various aspects of the brain — even in a world dominated by keyboards and touch screens. The goal is to have students reading and writing cursive by at least third grade. State Senator Angela McKnight, a Democrat from Hudson County, says, “Cursive writing is not merely about handwriting — it’s about cognitive development, the motor skills. Moreover, it’s a key to unlocking our history — our Declaration of Independence, historical letters, and some legal documents are written in cursive.”
And in connection to her comments, there is a need for people who read cursive in terms of transcribing and preserving historical documents. The National Archives has announced it’s looking for volunteers to help transcribe historic documents ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The archive has documents dating back to the Revolutionary War that are written in cursive and need to be transcribed. Documents include pension records, immigration materials and other historic items. More information about volunteering is available on the National Archives website.
New Jersey State Senator Shirley Turner, a Mercer County Democrat, says “Cursive is a timeless and necessary skill that we must incorporate into our curriculum again.” But not all education officials are in support of the idea. That includes Jennie Lamon, of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association. She says, “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.” Lamon also argues that schools already offer some form of cursive instruction — typically as part of language arts instruction, or when studying financial literacy.
Jonathan Pushman, with the New Jersey School Boards Association, testified in front of the Senate Education Committee: “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.”
If the legislation passed both the State Senate and NJ Assembly — and then be signed by Governor Phil Murphy — the change would take effect in the first full school year following the signing.
