In second grade, I traced the dotted letters aggressively, page after page. I remember the excitement I felt when I could finally sign my full name, uniquely, in cursive.

Since 2010, grades K-12th have not had cursive learning enforced in school because it isn’t required for states to teach. However, cursive is still relevant, especially for high schoolers. 

From birthday cards to contracts, cursive is vital for future generations to read and write if they want to understand the past.

Historical documents are written in cursive, and they can inform future generations of past mistakes not to repeat. The Constitution, specifically the Bill Of Rights, states in cursive the amendments which all high school students should be knowledgeable about as a US citizen. 

Cursive is a skill needed in adulthood and should constantly be refreshed in teenagers’ minds through monthly practice during language arts classes. 

House Bill 2230, proposed by Missouri state representatives Tricia Byrnes and Jeff Coleman, proposes limiting students’ use of technology and increasing writing from grades K-5th. This bill, which is currently in committee, requires students in elementary school to read and write cursive. 

According to the proposed bill, cursive activates neural circuits used for letter recognition, decoding and orthographic mapping, all of which strengthens reading ability. 

High school and middle school students are not included in the bill, and the skill of cursive could be lost and forgotten by this age if not consistently practiced. 

The benefits for teenagers are high according to the National Library Of Medicine. When testing the benefits of handwriting versus typing, handwriting wins in cognitive benefits, including memory retention because of the slower and more physical demand of handwriting. 

Strengthening this skill while also learning critical skills for adulthood makes cursive essential to every level of education.