Kentucky Senate Bill Will Return Cursive Writing to Elementary Classrooms

I wasn't a bad student. I wasn't a great one, either. There were subjects that were not cup of tea, but I passed them, nonetheless. Conversely, other subjects came to me very easily. One, in particular, was a big deal with my dad.

Cursive Writing

Of course, my reading, math, and comprehension skills were of utmost importance, but he took a huge interest in my penmanship. It was a top priority, and he always checked it, whether it was a school assignment or something I was doing on my own. Yes, I wrote in cursive, and I'm pretty sure it was taught as early as the first grade. Remember this handwriting paper? I don't know if it's still in use, but it was a cursive handwriting tool when I was a kid.

Remember how far up past the blue line the "loops" in lower case b's, l's, h's, k's, and so on, had to go in order for it be counted as correct? Remember how far down below the line p's, j's, g's, et cetera, had to drop?

Kentucky Schools to Require Cursive Instruction

I've talked to several parents who, like me, were raised writing in cursive, and now, a new generation will learn what we learned. Cursive is making a return to elementary school classrooms in Kentucky, and it's happening fast.

Senate Bill 167 will require that elementary school students in Kentucky be taught cursive beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

Part of that bill will require high school students to be able to sign their name in order to graduate. High schools will also be required to offer courses in typing and cursive writing.

I was not aware that typing was not offered in high schools across the board, if that's what that implies. I took one semester of typing (the course was called Personal Typing) when I was a junior in high school, and I have never forgotten any of it. Of all my classes, I'm certain that's the one I still "use" the most. I am now.

I'd write this whole thing in cursive if I thought I could do that digitally. And thanks to Dad, I have great handwriting, so you wouldn't have a difficult time reading it.