BISMARCK, N.D. - Cursive writing and reading is a dying art form, but some schools are continuing to teach it in their classrooms, despite the new technology that is available.
Writing with the swish of your pencil isn’t part of the curriculum in some states, but it is still being taught to students in North Dakota.
Cursive writing was the norm in the past. The US Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and everyone’s signature is hand written.
“You have to write your signature every day, that’s an important word, and you have to know how to write that in cursive. So we talk about that quite a bit,” said third grade teacher Laurie Schepp.
Some third grade students say learning cursive is important because.
“You have to write your signature when you go to the store and it’s faster than printing,” said Reagen Tschiter, student.
Forty-one states don’t require public schools to teach cursive reading or writing.
Although cursive writing is a dying art form, it is still be taught in Cathedral Elementary School.
“I think it’s important for schools to be able to continue to at least teach kids how to read it, even if they weren’t teaching them how to write it. I think it’s important for them to understand what they’re reading,” said Cathedral Elementary Principal Matt Strinden.
Cursive writing and reading is being hindered due to the technology we have now.
“It’s important to educate them I think in that aspect because that’s their digital natives. So we need to try to meet them on a common ground and be able to educate them in a way where they can be engaged,” said Strinden.
Now-a-days, students are connected with Chrome Books or iPads, so that severs the connection with cursive writing in the past.
“That is the way of the future, and I think we need to make way for that. But I also think that we need to keep the past preserved and have that sort of maintained,” said reference specialist Sarah Walker.
Learning how to read and write in cursive is an important art form that might someday be a foreign language to some.
As students get older, it’s a hit or miss if cursive writing is enforced at the upper level, where they might not be using cursive writing on a regular basis.