Is teaching old-fashioned penmanship in public schools the antidote to AI and the answer to the literacy crisis? The Philadelphia Citizen reports that the Pennsylvania state House passed a bill that would reintroduce cursive writing instruction in elementary school curricula. The bill is now in the Senate Appropriations Committee, where it looks to have bipartisan support and could become law by September 8, when the legislature is back in session, according to the Philadelphia Citizen. If this happens cursive could return to PA classrooms by the fall of 2026.
On the surface, the cursive comeback might seem like a return to a bygone era — a nostalgic revival of loopy loops and elegant script.
The legislation is an important element in the state’s push to advance literacy rates. Nearly 40 percent of Pennsylvania students read below basic levels. About 52 percent of Philadelphia’s adults are functionally illiterate.
Several of the most populous states (including California, New York, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey) have the lowest literacy rates in the country
A cursive writing comeback is about literacy — not just penmanship. It reflects human learning in the age of AI.
Research shows that learning cursive supports literacy development. A 2012 study found that children who practiced cursive showed better spelling and syntax awareness than peers who learned only keyboarding or manuscript printing
Studies claim that cursive writing engages different parts of the brain than printing or typing. It improves memory and promotes a stronger grasp of language structure. Cursive isn’t just fancier handwriting; it’s a cognitive tool connecting motor skills, visual processing, and literacy acquisition.
Reintroducing cursive reinforces the values of form, process, and patience. It invites students to slow down, connect hand to mind, and develop a deeper relationship with language.
At a time when algorithms write emails, generate art, and compose essays, the return to cursive is more than symbolic. Handwriting is a physical act of cognition. No algorithm can replicate the subtle, sensory complexity of putting pen to paper, of tracing a thought in ink.
Teaching cursive may seem old-fashioned, but it promotes irreplaceable aspects of human intelligence — motor coordination, memory, expression, and individuality.
Bringing cursive back is a way of grounding education in human competencies that AI cannot mimic. Cursive writing is a critical tool in the human cognitive toolkit.
The Philadelphia Citizen
