Pennsylvania elementary schools will soon be required to add cursive writing to their curriculum as state officials respond to concerns that too many young people can’t read handwriting or add their signature to official documents.

House Bill 17 requires every public and private elementary school in Pennsylvania to offer lessons in cursive writing. The legislation will take effect 60 days after it is signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Interest in cursive waned after Common Core standards were adopted in Pennsylvania and most other states in 2010. Those standards promoted the teaching of keyboard skills so school officials shifted away from teaching cursive.

As a result, hardly anyone born in the 21st century can read cursive and lawmakers say there is mounting evidence that being able to read handwriting has benefits beyond being able to decipher Grandma’s penmanship on a birthday card.

Proponents say there are cognitive benefits and writing cursive helps students develop fine motor skills. Being able to write cursive also helps when it comes time to sign official documents and being able to read cursive writing is crucial for studying historical documents.

“In our digital world, cursive has fallen by the wayside. But there are many reasons for students to have the basic grasp of cursive writing. In addition, students need cursive to read historical documents. A growing cursive illiteracy poses a threat to accessing and comprehending key historical sources such as the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights,” Rep. Dane Watro, R-Luzerne, said at a House Education Committee meeting in May 2025.

In a cosponsorship memo for the bill, Watro pointed to comments from Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar who blamed problems with mail ballot counting on the fact that too many young voters are incapable of appropriately signing their names on documents.

“I have an 18-year-old who, a couple of years ago, got her first bank account and watching her try to endorse her first paycheck was quite the interesting experience,” Rep. Pete Schweyer, D-Lehigh, said ahead of the House Education Committee vote on HB 17. “There’s a part of education that is actually teaching human skills, not knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but actually preparing people for real life. And this is perfectly reasonable and a smart way to go about it.”

On the other side, critics question whether adding cursive to the curriculum will just pile on more work for teachers and students who are already struggling to meet existing standards.

Pennsylvania would become the 26th state to require the teaching of cursive in schools. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation requiring the teaching of cursive in that state in January, meaning New York is the only neighboring state that does not require that cursive be taught in schools.

The measure was approved by the House in a 195-8 vote in July 2025. The Senate approved HB 17 by a 42-5 vote on Feb. 3.

Cursive requirements in nearby states

– Delaware requires that cursive be taught in grades 2-3

– Maryland requires that schools teach cursive writing in grades 2-5

– New Jersey requires that cursive be taught in grades 3-5

– Ohio requires that cursive be taught in grades 1-5

– West Virginia requires cursive be taught in grades 2-4