Lisa Y. answered • 02/02/24
Did you know cursive can help improve many academic struggles?
I'll answer this question with a resounding "Yes, learning cursive can definitely help!!" Research has shown that learning cursive can help those with dyslexia, attentiveness, and other academic challenges. As a matter of fact, teaching cursive is currently part of most dyslexia curriculums.
Many studies that have shown that learning cursive improves retention and comprehension. This is because it engages the brain on a deeper level as students learn to write in the continuous flow cursive provides. Cursive also improves fine motor dexterity which also helps the brain in other functions academically. According to the article "The Great Cursive Writing Debate" by the National Education Association, "Researchers have found that laptop users take more notes, sometimes recording every word from the lecturer, while longhand note-takers were slower and had to paraphrase while translating speech to paper. However, the process of transcribing enabled them to recall more of the information than the laptop note-takers."
Most school districts require cursive in public school curriculum, but it may not be taught effectively or only briefly touched upon because it's not a "high stakes" subject. Students are not tested and scored in cursive, thus, time is not allotted today for handwriting instruction. In my experience and opinion, this is a tragedy. Writing in cursive aids in brain development and primes the brain for increased learning. If your student did not receive handwriting instruction in early elementary, I would highly recommend seeking an experienced tutor to add cursive to their skillset at any age. In doing so, your student may improve in many unexpected ways!
