BETWEEN THE LINES: A student at French American School of Princeton (FASP) demonstrates his cursive writing skills. Cursive writing has long been part of the FASP curriculum, a skill developed from preschool through elementary school. Now, New Jersey is requiring all students in grades three through five to be taught cursive writing. (Photo courtesy of FASP)
By Wendy Greenberg
At the French American School of Princeton (FASP) one morning, the kindergarten class showed their familiarity with cursive writing, proudly putting down short sentences that sat perfectly between the lines, with beautifully looped and legible letters.
The skills of the upper grades were on display too in the hallways, where many posters on research projects contain several pages of information written in cursive. It’s a skill the students of FASP, located on Mapleton Road in Kingston, begin to master even before kindergarten if they attend the school’s preschool, practicing prewriting skills like shapes to build muscle memory.
Now, for the 2026-2027 school year, every New Jersey student in grades three through five will learn cursive writing, a measure former Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law before he left office. The new law requires third, fourth, and fifth graders to learn cursive handwriting, a requirement that fell out of favor when the Common Core, a set of recommended educational standards launched in 2010, did not include any specifics on cursive, but specifically mentioned keyboarding for those grades, according to Education Week, a news organization serving K-12 educators.
One of the sponsors, State Sen. Shirley Turner, who represents parts of Mercer and Hunterdon counties, said she was “astounded” when she learned her grandchildren were not taught cursive handwriting. “It’s a fundamental skill that should not disappear,” said Turner. “It’s not about looking backward, it’s about strengthening literacy.”
FASP sees cursive writing as a foundational skill. A website post, “Ahead of the Curve: Why FASP Has Always Prioritized Cursive (And Why NJ Now Agrees),” written by Deanna Ferrante, director of marketing and communications, states, “This initiative acknowledges what we at FASP have known for years: cursive is not a relic of the past, it’s a vital tool for cognitive development.”
In fact, FASP thinks third grade is not nearly early enough, and they point to preliminary skills that should be mastered first, which may start with play dough and progress to tracing loops.
“We just don’t go right into cursive,” said Head of School Corrine Güngör, who noted that in Europe, cursive is taught at a young age.
Fine motor skills are important in many ways, she said, adding that even with a current emphasis on artificial intelligence, fine motor skills are needed to control precision manipulation in robotics. Skills in handwriting go hand in hand with technology, she said.
“We use these skills every day and we don’t pay attention to these skills,” said Güngör. “This is something that has to be taught at an early age, like how to grip properly, and moving the wrist.”
FASP has 180 students from 30 nationalities, is multi-lingual, and serves grades preschool to eight.
New Jersey Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, representing parts of Mercer and Hunterdon counties, was a primary sponsor of the bill with Turner.
“We know that learning cursive can offer many cognitive benefits and knowing how to sign your name on documents like mortgages and bank papers is an essential life skill,” said Reynolds-Jackson. “This bill will ensure that cursive is part of the curriculum for students in grades three through five, giving them an important foundational tool to succeed later in life.”
Within the Princeton Public Schools, according to Supervisor of Elementary Education Sarah Moore, the district currently introduces cursive handwriting as part of a designated focus period in third grade, using the methodology developed by Diana Hanbury King. “Instruction includes intentional practice for both right-handed and left-hand-dominant students,” said a message from Moore. “From a child-development perspective, cursive supports fine-motor development, writing fluency, and access to historical and primary source texts. In light of the new legislation signed this week, we will be reviewing the requirements and exploring ways to thoughtfully expand our cursive instruction beginning in fall 2026.”
Many proponents cite the need to read original historical documents. In 2022, Drew Gilpin Faust, the former president of Harvard University, wrote in an article in The Atlantic titled “Gen Z Never Learned to Read Cursive: How will they interpret the past?” that students who don’t know cursive “will miss the excitement and inspiration that I have seen them experience as they interact with the physical embodiment of thoughts and ideas voiced by a person long since silenced by death. Handwriting can make the past seem almost alive in the present…. The inability to read handwriting deprives society of direct access to its own past.”
Murphy cited the learning of history in his support of the bill. “The return to including cursive instruction is especially meaningful as New Jersey celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of our country’s founding,” he noted in a press release. “We owe it to our students to give them a well-rounded education that ensures they have the tools to fully understand our rich history and become competent leaders.”
The Daily Princetonian quoted Daniela Mairhofer, associate professor of classics, who said, “Cursive writing is everywhere, ranging from archival material to everyday documents.”
FASP sees lifelong benefits, including improved literacy, eye-hand coordination, and greater information retention.
“Using fine motor skills, you are forced to pay attention, to be focused on a specific task,” said Güngör. “The emphasis is to pay attention to details, to make sure that it is well done.”
The youngest students build preliminary skills with manipulating clothespins, and games like putting beans into flower pots, pointed out Director of Enrollment Management Aude Quiroga. She showed that many of the books in the school library show cursive writing, or combine print and cursive.
“It’s a part of our life,” said Güngör.