Cursive handwriting is back in Ontario schools. Its success depends on at least 5 things

A student practises cursive handwriting at P.S. 166 in the Queens borough of New York in 2017. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

For many, the return of mandatory cursive handwriting instruction in the Ontario curriculum, starting in Grade 3, is a welcome and long-overdue move on the part of the Ministry of Education. It is a re-emphasis on direct instruction in foundational skills.