Cursive writing is one of those skills that seems to be a much debated topic in the last few years: to teach it or not to teach it. I was on the fence myself, but then recently, I came upon research that said it's a actually really important skill for children to learn and now I'm convinced it's essential. I mean, let's face it, we all benefit from learning new things, but thanks to technology, we don't necessarily have master a whole lot of new things in order to look like a pro. We can all make music, movies and even draw digitally with the click of a button or two. And then I read that cursive writing helps develop critical thinking skills. A New York Times article here and here talk about how learning to write in cursive helps with overall brain development, specifically around thinking, language and working memory.
With all this in mind, it seems more important than ever to teach children a skill that may not come easily to them right away. In addition to the brain benefits of cursive writing, there is something to be said for learning a skill that requires lots of practice and perseverance in order to master.
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