Utah, like all other states that adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), is not required to teach children cursive. For students who do not even know what cursive writing is, this is not much of a problem. However, pupils like 6-year-old Sasha Moore, who attends Copperview Elementary School in Utah, are eager to learn cursive, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Sasha grew up watching her older siblings write in cursive, and she told the news source she wants to learn how to write this way as well so she can be smart when she grows up. She is currently practicing her "loops" and "swoops" in her spare time.
However, Sasha may not get the chance to cover cursive in school, as the Utah State Board of Education has yet to decide whether or not to make this form of writing instruction mandatory under the CCSS. Many of those who do not see the need for cursive believe more classroom time should be devoted to helping students acquire skills they will use in their careers, such as those related to typing and technology.
The Utah State Board of Education is expected to discuss the issue soon, and possibly come to a decision as to the fate of cursive instruction this month.
Suzanne Asherson, a national presenter for the teacher handwriting program Handwriting Without Tears, is in the pro-cursive camp.
"Cursive is about connections, not the slant," Asherson told the Los Angeles Times. "It's not calligraphy. It's functional. Cursive is faster and more efficient than print. When a child knows the mechanics of forming letters in cursive, they can better focus on their content."
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