A state lawmaker says a bill she’s sponsored designed to bring back cursive writing in Kentucky public schools will likely be taken up by the Senate Education Committee next week. Republican Senator Lindsey Tichenor represents Oldham, Trimble and part of Jefferson County. She said some children are graduating high school without the ability to sign their name in cursive.
“The more that I researched, the more I'm realizing the impact on reading on memorization on just what goes on in the brain when you're writing in cursive and how it really does open up your ability to retain information and learn.”
Tichen said Senate Bill 167 would require the Kentucky Department of Education to set standards for proficiency in cursive, as the department does for reading and math.
“It's introduced in second grade and third grade. But there's really no provision to continue forward or requirement to be able to be proficient in handwriting, a lot of it has moved just to type writing and using devices using screens.”
Tichenor said cursive is used to tutor students with dyslexia, many of whom go undiagnosed for much of their time in school.
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