ATLANTA -- It started as a simple question on our Facebook page: Should schools teach students cursive?
The question garnered more than 15,000 interactions and over 3,000 comments in just 24 hours and sparked a robust conversation about what place teaching cursive has in the classroom.
As the digital age advanced and keyboard clicks became the norm, many states' Common Core standards began to abandon the handwriting style known for its fluid, loop-de-loop letters. But, as an article from the Washington Post reports, cursive writing may be making a comeback, thanks to a mix of educators, researches, parents and politicians.
Many point to studies that cursive "engages the brain more deeply, improves fine motor dexterity" and more. Plus, the article said, many historic documents are in cursive.
So 11Alive dug to find out whether Georgia schools teach cursive, and the answer is yes, they do.
According to the most recent information from the Southern Regional Education Board, Georgia does require cursive be taught through state standards, which usually begins in grade three. Georgia Department of Education curriculum standards recommend by grade four, students be able to write legibly in cursive and leave proper spacing between letters and words in a sentence. While it's not part of state assessments, competency is determined at a local level.
