{
  "id": 15531288,
  "title": "Kids should learn cursive. Their print needs work, too",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/kids-should-learn-cursive-their-print-needs-work-too",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-19T01:17:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/opinion/20261019/kids-should-learn-cursive-their-print-needs-work-too"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Parents who are dismayed by the poor state of children's penmanship can take solace in the fact that cursive instruction is experiencing a resurgence. In the past decade and a half, as most states ceased mandating cursive writing in public schools, the subject has been making a comeback. Over a dozen states have reintroduced cursive requirements in recent years, with New Jersey and Pennsylvania being the most recent additions. These measures stem from growing anxieties over the detrimental effects of classroom technology and the discovery that an entire generation of students lacks the ability to read the Declaration of Independence or sign their names due to the lack of instruction. Cursive has been part of American education since the nation's inception, and by the early 20th century, children were also being taught \"print,\" which was believed to help establish early literacy skills by mimicking the text they encountered in books. Despite the rise of technology, handwriting advocates have long been concerned about its impact. In 1955, the Saturday Evening Post attributed America's decline into a \"nation of scrawlers\" to the \"increasing reliance on the telephone, typewriter, dictating machines, and electronic brains.\" Even in the 2010s, the debate continues.",
  "summary": "Parents dismayed by the sorry state of penmanship, take heart: A decade and a half after most states stopped requiring cursive in public schools, instruction is making a comeback. More than a dozen states have reintroduced cursive mandates in recent years, New Jersey and Pennsylvania the latest among them. The measures come amid rising concerns about the harms of classroom technology — and the…",
  "key_points": [
    "Cursive instruction is making a comeback in recent years.",
    "Over a dozen states have reintroduced cursive requirements.",
    "Debate continues about handwriting's impact on literacy."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The resurgence of cursive requirements across several states signals a push to restore foundational literacy skills that have been eroded by an increasing reliance on classroom technology.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Kids should learn cursive. Their print needs work, too",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/kids-should-learn-cursive-their-print-needs-work-too-15534908",
        "published": "2026-10-19T01:42:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}