CENTRE COUNTY — Pennsylvania students will soon be spending more time putting pen to paper.
Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Act 2 of 2026 into law, requiring schools across the commonwealth to teach cursive handwriting as part of their curriculum. The requirement takes effect April 12 and applies to both public and private schools.
The law directs schools to incorporate cursive or joined italics instruction at appropriate grade levels, a move supporters say can help strengthen fine motor skills, improve literacy development and ensure students are able to read historical documents and handwritten materials.
For many districts in Centre County, the change will not come as a surprise. Some schools had already begun incorporating cursive into their curriculum, while others say the transition will be relatively seamless.
Penns Valley Area School District
Penns Valley Area School District had already begun considering the expansion of handwriting instruction before the state mandate was adopted.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. John W. Zesiger said the district’s Comprehensive Plan, approved in August 2025, included a goal of reviewing its K–6 curriculum and exploring the addition of cursive writing.
The district had already planned to incorporate cursive instruction beginning in the 2026–27 school year, a timeline that now aligns with the state’s new requirement.
“As a district, we believe handwriting remains an important skill for students,” Zesiger said. “While technology plays a major role in learning today, research continues to show that handwriting supports literacy development, memory and deeper cognitive processing.”
With the law now in place, Zesiger said the district will work to ensure the necessary time is built into the instructional schedule and that teachers receive the training needed to effectively teach handwriting and cursive.
Research cited by the district supports the approach. Studies published in Frontiers in Psychology and the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology suggest that handwriting strengthens the brain’s ability to learn letter formation, word recognition and letter–sound relationships.
State College Area School District
Officials in the State College Area School District say cursive is already familiar to many students.
Nabil K. Mark, the district’s communications manager, said cursive instruction is currently provided at the elementary level, though it has primarily been offered as an enrichment activity rather than a formalized part of the core curriculum.
“The State College Area School District is ready to meet the requirements of Act 2 of 2026 as it takes effect this spring,” Mark said.
He noted that handwriting serves an important role in student development beyond simply learning to write letters.
“We view handwriting as a foundational cognitive tool,” Mark said. “Beyond the fine motor development it provides, giving students the ability to read historical documents and sign their own names is a vital component of a well-rounded education.”
Mark said the district is well positioned to implement the requirement because cursive instruction is already included in its existing curricular resources.
He acknowledged that modern classrooms must balance many instructional priorities.
“The primary challenge in any modern classroom is the ‘crowded plate’ of the school day,” Mark said. “However, we do not see cursive and digital literacy as an ‘either/or’ scenario.”
While keyboarding remains essential in a technology-driven world, Mark said research shows the tactile nature of handwriting can improve memory retention and literacy.
“Our goal is to ensure students are equally comfortable navigating a keyboard as they are with a pen and paper,” he said.
Bellefonte Area School District
In the Bellefonte Area School District, cursive instruction is already embedded within the elementary curriculum.
Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jackie Wynkoop said the district has used the Handwriting Without Tears program for the past two years in grades K–3.
Under the program, students focus on printing from kindergarten through second grade before transitioning to cursive instruction in third grade.
“Because cursive instruction is already embedded in our elementary curriculum, Pennsylvania’s new requirement under Act 2 of 2026 will not require any changes to our current program or instructional practices,” Wynkoop said.
Wynkoop said handwriting instruction plays an important role in early literacy development.
“Learning cursive can support fine motor development, reinforce letter formation, and help students build fluency and confidence in written communication,” she said.
At the same time, the district continues to emphasize digital communication skills as students advance through school.
“Our approach is to ensure students develop strong foundational handwriting skills in the primary grades while also integrating digital tools and keyboarding skills as they progress through school,” Wynkoop said. “Both forms of communication are valuable, and we aim to equip students with the ability to use each appropriately.”
As the new state law takes effect, local districts say they are prepared to ensure students can master both the traditional skill of cursive handwriting and the modern demands of digital communication.
