LANSING — Recently, State Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac) introduced House Bill 4483, which calls for the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to develop or adopt a model program of instruction on cursive penmanship. The program would then be made available to Michigan’s public schools, who would have the option to implement the program into their district’s curriculum.

“Even in the age of technology, there is merit and value to penmanship and good handwriting,” Carter said. “Practicing cursive as a child can help improve memory and creativity. The majority of our nation’s founding documents are written in cursive, and many of us still use it to this day. By failing to teach our children how to write and read in cursive, we render them partially illiterate in their own language and our students deserve better.”

Research shows that cursive handwriting has many benefits outside of penmanship itself. Writing in cursive can stimulate the brain, improve fine motor skills and increase memory retention. Learning to write in cursive also has been known to help improve self-discipline through practicing a complex skill. The bill has been referred to the House Education Committee.

###