Do Schools Teach Penmanship?

Many United States schools have removed cursive handwriting instruction from their curriculum. When the system was revisited after the skill was taken out of the core requirements, school therapists reported that some students struggled with manuscript but excelled in cursive writing.

Should penmanship be taught in schools?

Benefits of Teaching Handwriting

Studies indicate that children who learn to write by hand well (and before they learn to write via keyboard) learn to read quicker, retain information better, and generate ideas easier. ... The ability to read handwritten content written by others, including historical documents.

How is handwriting taught in schools?

Handwriting instruction should include: Teacher modelling of the correct formation, sizing and placement of letters. For early learners, writing letters in the air or copying a letter from a correct model is helpful (Graham, 2010). Teacher explanations on how to form letters and words must accompany the modelling.