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Cursive is making a comeback. But does it deserve one?

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · · 1013 words · By Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo
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What to know about Cursive is making a comeback. But does it deserve one?

The article examines the history of cursive instruction in American schools, its decline due to technological shifts and curriculum changes, and its recent resurgence in several states. It presents arguments for the cognitive and practical benefits of cursive alongside challenges regarding teacher proficiency and instructional time.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 16
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left20%
Center60%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Learning to read and write cursive was once a rite of passage for practically every American schoolchild.

Why it matters

Until the early 20th century, children in the U.S.

Common ground

were generally taught to write in cursive or script, rather than the print writing typically taught to young children today.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

The article examines the history of cursive instruction in American schools, its decline due to technological shifts and curriculum changes, and its recent resurgence in several states. It presents arguments for the cognitive and practical benefits of cursive alongside challenges regarding teacher proficiency and instructional time.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/cursive-is-making-a-comeback-but-does-it-deserve-one…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 6
info Single Source 5
verified Verified By Reference 2
check_circle Corroborated 2
verified Verified 1
verified
Claim 1: “Until the early 20th century, children in the U.S. were generally taught to write in cursive or script, rather than the print writing typically taught to young children today.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about AI tools, a Supreme Court case from 1915, and general definitions of 'prior' and 'United States'. No evidence regarding the history of cursive instruction in the U.S. was provided.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that: A pardoned person must introduce the pardon into court proceedings, otherwise the p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burdick_v._United_States
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The term prior may refer to: Prior (ecclesiastical), the head of a priory (monastery) Prior convictions, the life history and previous convictions of a suspect or defendant in a criminal case Prior p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prior
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 2: “By 2015, 14 other states had some kind of cursive instruction requirement on the books.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is only supported by the cross-reference ('Phys'). No other evidence was provided to corroborate the number of states with cursive requirements by 2015.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — By 2015, 14 other states had some kind of cursive instruction requirement on the books.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cursive-comeback.html
verified
Claim 3: “The social studies standards, meanwhile, reflected a broader approach to history that brought greater attention to figures such as Mansa Musa, the leader of the Mali empire in the early 1300s.”
VERIFIED
The cross-reference ('Phys') mentions the social studies standards including Mansa Musa. This is further verified by multiple authoritative sources (Wikipedia, The Independent) confirming Mansa Musa was the leader of the Mali Empire in the early 1300s.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The history of the Mali Empire begins when the first Mande people entered the Manding region during the period of the Ghana Empire. After its fall, the various tribes established independent chiefdom…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Mali_Empire
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Mali Empire was an empire in West Africa from c. 1235 to 1610. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita (c. 1214 – c. 1255) and became renowned for the wealth of its monarchs, especially Mansa Mus…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Empire
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Musa II was the mansa of the Mali Empire from 1374 to 1387. Musa II took the throne following the death of his father, Mansa Mari Diata II. He turned away from the tyrannical practices of his father, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_II_of_Mali
+ 4 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 4: “First graders in Portugal who were taught cursive wrote in longer “bursts,” which the researchers attributed to the unbroken flow of cursive writing.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 5: “The new math standards called for data analysis and probability to be incorporated into mathematics education beginning in the early grades, including kindergarten.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is found in the cross-reference ('Phys'), but the web search results only show general information about probability in kindergarten or the existence of Common Core, without specifically confirming the 'new math standards' requirement as described.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Disclaimer: On this page you can find the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts. The standards are temporarily located on this page while we work to address technical ch…
https://corestandards.org/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Classroom Probability Activities. Teaching Probability In Kindergarten.Candy Math! Probability Activity - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls | Teaching probability to kids, Probability activities for grade…
https://www.pinterest.com/kassiherrmann/data-analysis-and-pr…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In this conversation, the UCLA mathematician and Fields Medalist breaks math down to six essential ideas: numbers, algebra, geometry, probability, analysis, and dynamics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOMx2BHHWtE
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 6: “By the 1980s, the instructional time dedicated to cursive instruction in some schools had been reduced from 45 minutes a day to 30-60 minutes per week.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is corroborated by both a cross-reference ('Phys') and a web search result from Fortune, both stating that by the 1980s, some schools reduced cursive instruction from 45 minutes a day to 30-60 minutes per week.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 45 may refer to: 45 (number), the natural number following 44 and preceding 46 one of the years 45 BC, AD 45, 1945, 2045
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 45 RPM or 45 rpm may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45_RPM
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), also known as .45 Auto, .45 Automatic, or 11.43×23mm is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge designed by John Moses Browning in 1904, for use in his prototy…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_ACP
+ 4 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 7: “They found that writing in cursive activates the brain waves and neural pathways used for learning and for memory.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 8: “A 2019 study of 141 first graders found that children taught cursive read better by the end of the school year than classmates who weren’t.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 9: “The law also required children to memorize their multiplication tables.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is only supported by the cross-reference ('Phys'). No other evidence was provided to corroborate the multiplication table requirement.
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — The law also required children to memorize their multiplication tables.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cursive-comeback.html
info
Claim 10: “North Carolina passed the first cursive law in 2013. It required students to read and write in cursive by the end of fifth grade.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about ESPN and College Football. No information regarding North Carolina cursive laws was provided.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The American, ACC, Big 12, Conference USA, MAC, SEC and Sun Belt are all covered by ESPN. Through its online arm ESPN3 and the ESPN+ streaming service, ESPN carries a wide variety of other athletic co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESPN_College_Football
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Visit ESPN for NCAA live scores, video highlights and latest news. Stream exclusive college football games on ESPN and play College Pick'em.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Get the top news, scores, highlights and latest trending topics in FBS college football here at NCAA.com.
https://www.ncaa.com/sports/football/fbs
schedule
Claim 11: “As of 2026, more than 25 states, including Pennsylvania, Florida, California and Michigan, require cursive instruction.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 12: “Students during these years generally learned print in kindergarten, first and second grade. Cursive was typically introduced in third or a later grade”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources confirm that print was taught first (typically in early grades) and cursive was introduced later, specifically mentioning third grade or ages seven/eight.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Cursive was typically introduced in third grade or later, in part because some child development researchers at the time believed that writing in print was easier for young children to learn and align…
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cursive-comeback.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “Manuscript Versus Cursive Handwriting”. Most children first learn to print, and only at age seven or eight are they introduced to cursive script.
http://www.donpotter.net/pdf/cursive_first.pdf
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Print script replaced cursive in the textbooks as the accepted firstgrade hand, to be followed by a second‐grade or third‐grade “transition”to commercial cursive, called “real writing.”
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/23/archives/parent-and-child…
verified
Claim 13: “In the first half of the 20th century, penmanship was often taught as a distinct subject in American elementary schools, where children could spend as much as 45 minutes a day on handwriting instruction and practice.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided includes a general definition of penmanship, a video about eating habits, and information about Soviet schools in 1927, but nothing regarding American elementary schools teaching penmanship for 45 minutes a day in the first half of the 20th century.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The .45-70 (11.6×53mmR), also known as the .45-70 Government, .45-70 Springfield, and .45-21⁄10" Sharps, is a .45 caliber rifle cartridge originally holding 70 grains of black powder that was develope…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45-70
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 45 may refer to: 45 (number), the natural number following 44 and preceding 46 one of the years 45 BC, AD 45, 1945, 2045
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The North American B-45 Tornado is an early American jet bomber designed and manufactured by aircraft company North American Aviation. It has the distinction of being the first operational jet bomber …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_B-45_Tornado
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 14: “The Common Core state standards, a nationwide set of academic learning standards for K–12 students, were adopted in some fashion by 45 states between 2009 and 2014.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is present in the cross-reference ('Phys'), but the provided web and Wikipedia results are entirely irrelevant (discussing Git clone and US-China relations), providing no independent corroboration.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States (US) has been complex and at times tense since the establishment of the PRC on 1 October 1949 and the subsequent ret…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–United_States_relations
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Type 45 destroyer, also known as the D or Daring class, is a class of six guided-missile destroyers built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy in the early 21st century. The class is primarily desi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_45_destroyer
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The .45 Colt (11.43×33mmR), often called the .45 Long Colt, is a rimmed straight-walled, centerfire handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It was originally a black-powder revolver round developed for the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_Colt
+ 4 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 15: “A 2020 study conducted in Norway hooked up 12 adults and 12 preteens to brain-imaging devices while they wrote in cursive, drew and typed.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 16: “Learning to write in cursive is also associated with better outcomes for learners with dyslexia and dysgraphia”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.