In January researchers and educators from across the country came together to address the role of handwriting in schools. The Idaho Senate followed up by deciding to pass the Cursive Resolution. We went to a school who has won national competitions for their cursive handwriting.
Hibbard Elementary School feels it’s very important to teach their students how to read and write, in cursive.
Every year Mrs. Jean Garner tries to motivate her students to write in cursive by entering them in the Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest.
“The kids get very excited about it, so that to me makes it worth it because they’re always wanting to write in cursive in their work books and other things” said Garner.
Garner’s class has already been awarded 4 national cursive handwriting awards in the last few years.
“At first we just talk about how we need good handwriting to write out checks, to sign our names on important documents and then studies have just shown that studies have just shown that students who have nice handwriting seem to have better thinking skills” continued Garner.
Garner says she hopes cursive handwriting will continue to be taught in schools all around the nation.
“I think it’s kind of amazing, especially the little boys that come in sometimes and their printing is not really great, but when it comes to the cursive handwriting it just really improves and I have really been pleasantly surprised over the years to see how it improves” said Garner.
The national handwriting competition Mrs. Garner’s students participate in will be held in May.
We just got word today that one of Mrs. Garner’s 4th grade students has won state in the national handwriting contest; which means the student will have a good chance at nationals in May.
