The Case for Cursive Writing

For those of a certain age, cursive writing was an integral part of early education. In those days, “penmanship” was a subject on a student’s report card upon which they were graded. Back then, kids were required to put considerable effort into handwriting practice with its curving loops and flowing letters.

Unfortunately, beginning in the 1970s, instruction in cursive writing began to decline. With the advent of the typewriter and eventually word processors, personal computers, and smartphones, educators started to view cursive writing as an antiquated and unnecessary relic from the past.

But is that all it ever was? Or did cursive writing offer more benefits than just making a handwritten document look fancy?

Handwriting and the Brain Meets Music and the Brain

Back in the mid-2010s, I noticed a large percentage of my beginning band students were struggling with hand postural, strength, and dexterity when handling their instruments. Upon reflection, I realized the biggest difference between these students and students from 10 to 20 years prior was the lack of cursive handwriting instruction in schools. Additionally, curriculum cuts in visual arts meant that fine motor skills, endurance, strength, and dexterity building tasks (such as using scissors) were also lacking.

Based on these observations, I began asking my students to demonstrate how they held a pencil and show me how they wrote their name or a simple sentence. Not surprisingly, grip issues were prevalent with students stacking their fingers up the side of a pencil, wrapping their thumbs incorrectly, and gripping the pencil too tightly.

I worked with students on correcting their grips, and though some reported it felt “weird,” they did quickly recognize the benefits of making the adjustment. This proved true not only in writing but in how they held their instruments.

The simple fact is, handwriting skills improve fine motor skills, which in turn, make hands ready for musical instruments. And as researchers and neuroscientists studies have shown, the effects of playing music on the brain are wide ranging and powerful. Playing music:

•  Engages practically all areas of the brain simultaneously.
• Strengthens brain functions that can be applied to other activities such as math, pattern recognition, memory enhancement, auditory discrimination, and more.
•  Increases the volume and activity between the brain’s two hemispheres which allows musicians to more effectively tackle problem solving both academically and socially.
• Improves and enhances memory functions.

The Many Benefits of Learning Cursive Writing

Research published by the National Library of Medicine shows that people remember information better when they write it down. There is a more profound brain connection, and we retain information longer when we physically write it down as opposed to typing it on a keyboard.

In addition to increased retention, cursive writing offers many other benefits, including:

• Improved fine motor skills. Cursive writing polishes fine motor skills and helps refine them with hand-eye coordination.
• Transferable skills. Because cursive writing develops fine motor skills, it helps the writer better approach other activities, such as playing the piano or an instrument. 
• Brain connection. Cognitive development improves when writing in cursive. This is attributed to the fact that cursive writing stimulates different parts of the brain that printing and typing do not.
• Greater creativity. Because of its flowing nature, cursive writing may enhance a person’s creativity and enable a more expressive approach to writing.
• Faster writing. Cursive writing is faster and less labor intensive than printing.

Handwriting Without Tears at A Kopp Music

I use the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum and Teaching Techniques with our students when incorporating handwriting into music lessons. In 2018 and 2019, I attended every seminar offered by Learning Without Tears on Cursive Handwriting for pre-K through Grade 5. This included Handwriting Analysis for intervention and correction of handwriting issues. 

It was at these seminars that I learned how cursive handwriting offers the same brain building benefits as learning and playing music for engaging multiple areas of the brain simultaneously.

Introducing cursive handwriting to older students in music lessons is helpful because it not only corrects grip issues but also gives students’ hands a break from strain, incorrect posture, and grip issues. While I have yet to see any research suggesting handwriting as therapy for protecting young hands from repetitive stress injuries due to overuse of electronics like smartphones and handheld electronics, I firmly believe that we will see a Pencil to Paper Renaissance in the near future.

At A Kopp Music, we love providing our students with a comprehensive learning curriculum that empowers them to not only make beautiful music, but also provides them with amazing brain building benefits that will prove valuable in so many areas of their lives for years to come.

Contact us at A Kopp Music to learn more about cursive writing or to schedule your student’s music lessons.