For many years, cursive writing was a rite of passage in American elementary schools, marking the transition from block letters to something more fluid and mature. The script was full of ceremony, and the ability to write it meant that you were ready to sign your name, read historical texts, and put your mark on paper.That certainty began to fade in the last decade. As laptops and tablets became fixtures in classrooms, typing skills took priority. When the Common Core State Standards were introduced in 2010 without mentioning cursive, many districts quietly eased it out of the timetable. What had once been routine instruction became optional and, in some places, disappeared altogether.
A school that refused to let it go
In Georgia’s Cobb County, one elementary school chose a different path. Powers Ferry Elementary doubled down on cursive, keeping it alive even as other schools shifted focus.That decision paid off. For the 2024–25 academic year, the school was the only one in its district to earn the Georgia Department of Education’s John Hancock Banner and Ribbon of Distinction. The award recognises schools where at least 90% of students can write both their name and the Preamble to the US Constitution in cursive.Across the state, 93 schools met that benchmark this year, a sign that cursive, once sidelined, is gaining ground again.
Law brings structure to the revival
Georgia’s renewed interest in cursive is now more than a local initiative. Starting this academic year, state legislation requires students in grades 3 through 5 to receive instruction in cursive handwriting. Georgia joins at least 24 other states that have reinstated cursive lessons in elementary classrooms.Supporters argue the move is not about nostalgia but about skill-building. Handwriting, they say, strengthens fine motor coordination and reinforces learning in ways typing does not always replicate.
More than sentiment
Teachers in schools that have revived cursive say students respond with curiosity and sometimes pride. For many children, writing in connected script feels new, almost artistic, in contrast to the clipped efficiency of typing.The return of cursive does not signal a retreat from technology. Classrooms remain digital spaces. But the renewed emphasis suggests that education systems are reconsidering what may have been lost in the rush toward keyboards.At Powers Ferry Elementary, cursive is no longer treated as an outdated flourish. It is once again part of daily instruction, proof that even in an age of screens, ink still has a place in shaping how students learn and express themselves.
