One skill I have always considered basic, but one that many young people no longer know, is cursive writing. For generations, students learned cursive alongside reading, spelling, and basic mathematics. Today, however, many schools no longer include it in their curriculum.
As an older teacher, I admit that I find this disappointing. I believe students should learn how to write and read cursive. They do not need flawless penmanship, but they should be able to sign their names, read handwritten notes, and understand historical documents written in cursive. Handwriting carries a personal touch; each curve and stroke reveals something unique about the writer that typed words can never fully capture. A handwritten letter, recipe, or journal entry preserves not only someone’s words but also a small piece of the person who wrote them.
On the other hand, I understand why many schools stopped teaching it. As states added more academic standards, teachers were expected to cover an increasing amount of material within the same limited school year. Something had to be removed, and cursive writing was no longer considered essential. Teachers already struggle to balance reading, writing, grammar, mathematics, science, social studies, technology, and testing requirements. Adding one more expectation to an already crowded schedule is not as simple as it sounds.
Still, I do not believe cursive needs to disappear completely. Schools could introduce it through short lessons in the elementary grades and continue reinforcing it through meaningful activities. Students might practice by writing letters, keeping journals, signing their work, or reading copies of historical documents. It would not need to take over the school day or replace more important instruction.
Technology has changed how we communicate, but that does not make every traditional skill unnecessary. Typing and handwriting can exist together. Students should be prepared for the digital world, but they should also be able to pick up a pen and confidently write their own names.
Perhaps the answer is not to return to hours of repetitive handwriting drills. Instead, we could teach cursive as a practical life skill, one worth preserving, even in a world of keyboards and touchscreens.
What do you think? Should cursive writing still be taught in our schools?
Surrounded by educators among my family and friends, I have seen firsthand why schools of every kind have let cursive writing slip away, casualties of an outdated system still tied to the rhythms of farming and the lure of summer profits. Yet, I always return to my mother’s lessons, those extra teachings she wove into my summers, enriching my education beyond the classroom.
Over sixteen years ago, I treated myself to an antique quill pen set, complete with a four-inch stick of red wax and a custom seal bearing the first letter of my last name. I pressed that seal into the warm wax to close an envelope holding my handwritten cursive letter congratulating my niece on her high school graduation.
My letters to family and friends have turned into cherished keepsakes, especially for nieces and nephews who delight in finding a handwritten note in their mailbox. At our family reunions, our elders’ education phrase: “always supplement and surpass whatever is being taught in public and private schools.”
What a beautiful tradition! The image of your handwritten letter, sealed with red wax and your family initial, is lovely. I can understand why your nieces and nephews treasure receiving your letters; something handwritten carries a warmth and personality that a typed message simply cannot replace.
As a teacher, I understand the pressures that have pushed cursive aside, but stories like yours remind me why it still matters. Your family elders offered wise advice: education should never end with what is taught in the classroom. Thank you for sharing such a meaningful example of how one “old-fashioned” skill can become a lasting family keepsake.