Mark it down. Idaho’s cursive writing resolution is on the books.
After brief debate — or, shall we say, cursory debate? — the Senate approved House Concurrent Resolution 3, which requests that the State Board of Education write rules to require cursive instruction in elementary schools.
Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, a semi-retired teacher, has led the push for the cursive resolution. Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, carried the bill on the Senate side Thursday morning — and Nonini said Bateman’s cursive crusade has prompted him to practice his penmanship. “It is a good exercise for all of us.”
The Senate approved HCR 3 on a voice vote. It has already passed the House — and unlike bills, concurrent resolutions do not require the governor’s support. That means Thursday’s Senate vote is the final word on HCR 3.
As a retired educator/administrator, (now a grandmother) I agree with this effort. Our school adopted a method that provides an easy transition from printing to cursive in the primary grades. Italic Writing is a beautiful and legible form of cursive writing that can be taught efficiently to elementary age students after they learn to print in K-1. The basic forms have been taught in a number of schools since 1984, but possibly not in Idaho. A book has been published by Inga Dubay and Barbara Getty: Italic Letters. (How could I send an example of this type of handwriting?)