SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, Nos. 1783 and 2712

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 30, 2025

     The Senate Education Committee favorably reports a Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill Nos. 1783 and 2712.

     This committee substitute requires a school district to incorporate instruction on cursive handwriting into the curriculum for students in grades kindergarten through five. The curriculum is to include activities and instructional materials that help students become proficient in reading cursive and writing in cursive legibly by the end of the grade three.

     Some research suggests that learning to read and write in cursive benefits the development of cognitive, motor, and literacy skills.  Instruction in cursive handwriting has also been associated with improved academic outcomes for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia.