Pick up a pen. Write a sentence. For many adults, that simple act now feels almost foreign — and for the generation growing up today, it may feel even more so.

In a world of keyboards, touchscreens, and voice-to-text, handwriting quietly slipped from priority to afterthought in classrooms across the country. Cursive was among the casualties when Common Core State Standards were adopted in 2010, omitting handwriting from its curriculum entirely. Many students today cannot read a handwritten note, let alone write one. NBC10 Philadelphia

New Jersey just decided that was not acceptable.

The Law Has Changed

On January 19, 2026, Governor Phil Murphy signed S1783/A3865 into law, requiring all New Jersey public school districts to incorporate cursive handwriting instruction into their curriculum for students in grades 3 through 5. The new law mandates that by the end of fifth grade, every student must be proficient in both reading and legibly writing in cursive, with implementation beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. NBC10 PhiladelphiaNJEA

With this signing, New Jersey became the 26th state in the country to require cursive writing — part of a growing national movement to restore a skill that over 50 percent of U.S. states now mandate. When In Your State

At Cedar Hill Preparatory School, we never stopped. From Kindergarten, our students learn cursive — not as a nostalgic exercise, but as a foundational skill we have always believed in.

What the Science Says

The case for handwriting is not sentimental. It is neurological. Studies have found that children who write by hand demonstrate stronger memory retention, deeper comprehension, and greater cognitive engagement than those who type the same content. Cursive in particular engages both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, strengthening neural pathways associated with reading, language, and fine motor development. For children still in the critical window of literacy development, that matters enormously.

Experts also note that cursive requires continuous movement, which strengthens muscle memory and hand-eye coordination — and that some students who struggle with printing actually find cursive easier to learn. When In Your State

A Connection to History

New Jersey’s timing is particularly meaningful. As the country approaches the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, the ability to read cursive takes on new significance — most of the founding documents, including the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, were written in cursive. A generation that cannot read script is a generation cut off from its own history. When In Your State

What We Lose When We Let It Go

Beyond the neuroscience, there is something less quantifiable but equally important at stake. Handwriting is personal. Every loop, slant, and stroke is a reflection of the individual behind the pen. When we abandon it, we also abandon a form of self-expression that no font can replicate.

There is also the simple reality of what happens when technology fails. Screens freeze. Batteries die. The child who can pick up a pen and keep going has an advantage that no app can provide.

Slow Down to Move Forward

There is something else handwriting teaches that no keyboard can — patience. In an age of instant everything, the deliberate act of forming letters on a page asks children to slow down, focus, and be present. Those are not just penmanship skills. They are life skills.

At Cedar Hill Preparatory School, we believe that preparing children for the future does not mean abandoning what works. Teaching cursive from Kindergarten is one of the ways we honor both the science of learning and the whole child — because the goal has never been to produce students who can type quickly. It has always been to develop young people who can think deeply, communicate clearly, and leave their mark on the world.

Preferably in their own handwriting.

Cedar Hill Preparatory School is a Preschool to 8 International Baccalaureate Candidate School located at 152 Cedar Grove Lane, Somerset, NJ. For more information, visit cedarhillprep.com or call 732-356-5400.