This fall, elementary students across Georgia will be brushing up on something many thought belonged to grandma’s era: cursive writing. It’s no typo — loopy letters are officially back in the curriculum.
After years of dwindling ink use and rising screen time, Georgia’s public schools are about to reintroduce a skill that had nearly disappeared from the classroom. And they’re not doing it quietly, either.
A New Chapter in the State Standards
It’s not a trend — it’s state policy now.
Georgia’s Board of Education formally voted to revamp its English Language Arts standards in May 2023, with cursive writing getting a front-row seat in the curriculum makeover. Teachers were given a year to prepare, and now the implementation is here.
The vote wasn’t close: 13-1 in favor.
Third graders will start by reading and writing in cursive — beginning with phrases and moving on to complete sentences. By fifth grade, they’ll be expected to write entire texts “legibly and efficiently,” with clean spacing and those ever-important connecting strokes.
Richard Woods, Georgia’s elected state superintendent, is fully behind the change. At a recent Republican convention in Dalton, he spoke about the new standards. Talking about personal finance classes drew polite applause. But when he said cursive writing was back? The room erupted.
Beyond Nostalgia: Why Cursive?
The state isn’t pitching cursive as a novelty or vintage throwback. It’s being packaged as a real educational benefit.
“Cursive writing is more than just a skill,” said the official description for a new statewide recognition — the John Hancock Award — introduced by Woods last month. “It strengthens fine motor development, improves literacy, and connects students to historical documents in their original form.”
You can sense the pitch. This isn’t just about writing pretty — it’s about tying today’s children to the past.
Some key reasons the Georgia Department of Education is giving for bringing it back:
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Helps students improve hand-eye coordination and motor precision
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Builds connections between brain development and memory retention
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Enables reading of foundational U.S. documents in original form
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Offers a break from constant screen exposure in digital learning
Critics may call it sentimental, but the push has national momentum.
Georgia Joins a Quiet, Sweeping Trend
Georgia’s not alone. Other states — including Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas — have already reinstated cursive requirements. Even California, the heartland of the touchscreen, passed a law in 2023 mandating cursive in elementary schools.
So what changed? A few things, actually.
Over the last decade, as Common Core standards swept through classrooms, cursive was mostly left out. Digital literacy took precedence. Typing mattered more than penmanship. And yet, somewhere along the line, educators and lawmakers started wondering if something had been lost.
A report from the National Association of Elementary School Principals in 2022 pointed out that while only 30% of states mandated cursive a decade ago, that number has now crept up to 47%.
That’s not just coincidence — it’s a wave.
Mixed Reviews from Educators and Parents
Not everyone’s thrilled.
Some teachers say the classroom is already overloaded with learning goals. Adding cursive back means less time for other priorities. Others argue that cursive is functionally outdated — few adults use it regularly, so why teach it?
Then there’s the parental split. Some parents are nostalgic, even emotional, about seeing their children learn to write the same way they did. Others question whether it’s relevant in the real world.
“It’s cute, I guess,” said one Atlanta-area mother. “But my daughter’s going to spend her life on a keyboard. Isn’t typing more important?”
On the other hand, Dekalb County teacher Sandra Reese disagrees: “Cursive slows kids down in a good way. They think about each word, each sentence. There’s something almost meditative about it.”
That tension — between utility and sentiment — is hard to ignore.
How It’ll Work in Georgia Classrooms
So what will kids actually be doing?
Teachers say the rollout will be gradual, but structured. Students will begin practicing letterforms and connections in third grade, starting with basic drills and moving to sentence-level writing. By fourth grade, they’ll be expected to apply cursive in their daily written work — journaling, note-taking, and even writing short essays.
Here’s how it stacks up:
| Grade | Cursive Requirement | Skill Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Read and write phrases in cursive | Letter formation, connectors |
| 4th | Apply cursive in writing practice | Word spacing, rhythm, legibility |
| 5th | Compose entire texts in cursive | Efficiency, fluency, neatness |
The standards also mention integrating cursive with social studies. Students will be encouraged to transcribe and interpret historical documents — think the Declaration of Independence — in their original handwritten form.
The Politics of Penmanship
It’s worth noting that cursive has become something of a cultural wedge.
For conservatives, it’s often seen as a symbol of educational values tied to tradition, discipline, and American heritage. Woods, the Georgia schools chief, has leaned into that messaging — and it’s resonating with his base.
At a time when school boards are increasingly the frontline of ideological clashes — over books, gender, and curriculum — cursive, oddly enough, has become political.
But not everything about the comeback is partisan. Plenty of moderate and liberal educators also see value in slowing things down, focusing on tactile learning, and encouraging a more mindful approach to writing.
It’s rare, but this might be a case of policy bringing people together — or at least, not tearing them apart.
