TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A new proposal in the Florida House would make cursive writing proficiency mandatory for all public elementary school students by the end of fifth grade.
House Bill 127, filed by state Reps. Toby Overdorf and Dana Trabulsy, would require students in grades two through five to learn cursive writing, with testing at the end of fifth grade to demonstrate proficiency. If approved, the measure would take effect July 1, 2026, and be implemented during the 2026–2027 school year.
“There is science behind it,” said Jenifer Schneider, interim dean of the University of South Florida’s College of Education. “Research shows that learning letter formation helps students write more efficiently, freeing up brain power for more complex thinking.”
Schneider, who also serves as a professor of literacy studies at USF, said cursive offers both cognitive and cultural benefits.
“You can read old documents or handwritten notes from different generations,” she said. “Learning cursive allows students to connect with history in a way typing can’t.”
Currently, Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards for English Language Arts require instruction in cursive for grades three through five but do not test for proficiency — a gap this bill seeks to close.
The measure is now under review by the House Student Academic Success Subcommittee, ahead of the regular legislative session beginning in January.
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