Learning cursive could soon become requirement in Arizona schools

PHOENIX — Learning how to write in cursive could soon become a requirement for Arizona schoolchildren.

The Arizona Board of Education is considering making revisions to its learning standards, one of which would require students to learn the script by the conclusion of third grade.

If the revision is adopted, Arizona would be the first state in the nation to have what’s called foundational writing standards, according to Charles Tack, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Education.

“It’s really making sure students have the concepts of letters, understanding their letters, understanding how to write eventually in cursive so that they’re learning how to write as they’re learning how to read,” he said.

The decision to teach cursive has been left to local districts in the past. If the proposal is adopted, the cursive standard would become a statewide requirement.

“We really have students that are grasping how to read, grasping how to write at the same time, and by the time they finish those early K-3 grades, they’re really able to keep moving forward with those skills intact and ready to learn, as they go up into higher grades,” Tack said.

The board is hosting 17 public hearings across the state before Oct. 3 to get feedback from the public on all the proposed revisions, including cursive. Comments can also be submitted on the board’s website.

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