A Michigan lawmaker is continuing to push for students to learn to read and write cursive in schools.
Rep. Brenda Carter, D-Pontiac, introduced House Bill 4675, which would require the Michigan Department of Education to develop “a list of model programs of instruction on cursive” by June 1, 2027.
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“Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the board of a school district or intermediate school district or board of directors of a public school academy is strongly encouraged to incorporate one of the model programs of instruction into the curriculum,” according to the bill.
However, if the list of model programs is developed before the 2026-27 school year begins, then a school district is “strongly encouraged” to incorporate one of the programs into the curriculum for that school year.
“Many children today are not being taught how to read or write in cursive — a foundational skill that not only enables them to sign their own name, but also gives them access to important historical documents, including many of our nation’s founding texts," Carter said in a statement after introducing the bill.
Carter has introduced bills in the past related to getting cursive writing in Michigan classrooms, and in 2023, a version of the bill was passed by the House.
That bill, House Bill 4064, is similar to the most recent bill, but didn’t require the Michigan Department of Education to develop a list of programs.
“I’ve been proud to introduce this bill in each of my prior three terms, and in its most recent form, it passed out of the House with overwhelming bipartisan support,” said Carter. “I’m going to keep going to bat for this policy because of how important it is. This is a commonsense step to help ensure our students aren’t left behind when it comes to a skill that connects them to both practical tasks and our shared history and culture.”
This year, in March, which is recognized as National Reading Month, the Michigan Department of Education released a resolution in support of cursive being taught in Michigan schools.
In the resolution, the department said, “Research has shown that learning cursive writing enhances cognitive development, improves fine motor skills, and strengthens the brain’s ability to recognize patterns in language, which supports both reading comprehension and written communication.”
“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Michigan State Board of Education strongly supports efforts to integrate cursive writing into Michigan’s educational curriculum and the passage of legislation that promotes the teaching of cursive writing in schools; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Michigan State Board of Education encourages the Governor and members of the Michigan Legislature to emphasize the necessity of cursive writing instruction as a component of comprehensive literacy education,” according to the resolution.
This push comes as the number of states that require schools to teach cursive continues to increase.
At least 24 states require schools to teach cursive, while several states leave it up to the school districts to decide whether or not to add cursive to their curriculum.
In Pennsylvania, a bill recently passed in the House that would require elementary schools to teach cursive. A bill also recently passed in the House that would require Maine schools to teach cursive handwriting “no later than grade 3 and continuing to the end of grade 5.”