Baltimore County Public Schools aims to determine if a cursive handwriting pilot program for second- through fourth-grade classes can enhance writing fluency while increasing academic confidence.
“Cursive writing is not just about penmanship; it gives students another powerful tool to grow as confident readers and writers,” said Jennifer Craft, executive director for literacy and humanities in the district’s curriculum and instruction division. “We are eager to see how this practice will strengthen focus, memory, writing fluency, and communication skills, while reinforcing the literacy foundation that supports long-term academic success.”
But a professor says cursive might not be the cure-all for sluggish English language arts scores that some parents think it is. “Cursive isn’t a silver bullet. There isn’t anything like that in education, but for some children, it can be a very valuable tool,” said Kerry Alexander, assistant professor of literacy education at the University of Maryland, College Park.
What do you think?
Can’t see the poll? Vote here
The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.
To read the results of previous reader polls, click here.