COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) will begin cursive handwriting instruction for students in grades 3-5 this upcoming fall. 

To align with Georgia’s K-12 English Language Arts Standards, cursive writing will be introduced in the third grade and will continue to be practiced in the fourth and fifth grades. 

The Georgia Dept. of Education says the goal is for students to read and write in cursive fluently and automatically.

GaDOE released a cursive handwriting guidance packet as an instructional resource for students, parents, and teachers. The packet states that before learning cursive writing, students should develop a solid foundation in print writing, visual-motor coordination, and spatial awareness. 

GaDOE suggests schools adopt a consistent writing style, like Zaner-Bloser and D’Nealian.

They say this approach should coordinate with the print handwriting style used in grades K-2 to ensure a smooth transition for students.