Written By Lexx Thornton
A bill currently moving through the Florida House (HB 127) seeks to make cursive handwriting mandatory for public elementary school students from grades two through five.
If passed, the bill would require students to be actively taught cursive writing and, critically, would mandate that they be tested for proficiency by the end of the fifth grade. The requirement would take effect for the 2026-2027 school year.
While Florida’s current standards already require some instruction in cursive for grades three through five, there is currently no proficiency test requirement. HB 127, filed by Representatives Toby Overdorf and Dana Trabulsy, would introduce that testing mandate.
Jenifer Schneider, Interim Dean for the College of Education at the University of South Florida (USF), supports the move. She notes that research confirms the benefits of teaching handwriting, explaining that it helps students with letter formation and allows them to conserve “brain power for the things that matter.”
Beyond cognitive benefits, Schneider also pointed out the cultural value of cursive, as it gives students the ability to “read an old document” or handwritten notes from previous generations.
The bill is now being reviewed by the Florida House’s Student Academic Success Subcommittee.
