Image: Handwritten note by author. 

What do you think about cursive writing?

As a reporter, I relied heavily on my handwritten notes. Writing someone else’s words helped me better remember what they said. I invented my shorthand to capture key concepts. I starred passages that stuck out as ideal quotes because they explained a concept, described an experience, or made me laugh or cry.

    As a writer, I find my ideas flow easier with pen and paper rather than typing. Tapping on the keyboard or using dictation works too. But first, hand me a pen and let me balance a notebook in my lap.

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New Jersey dropped handwriting from its curriculum after the adoption of the Common Core State Standards in 2010, which didn’t require handwriting instruction. Many states said goodbye to cursive, but New Jersey reversed its decision.  In September, New Jersey public schools will start teaching cursive writing to third-through fifth-grade students.

Cursive is back! That's why I designed and typed (you’re welcome) a special cursive writing quiz in honor of cursive writing.  

How excited are you about the return of cursive writing to New Jersey school students?

A.     Woo-hoo! Everyone should know how to write in cursive and read it too.

B.     Every student in every state should learn longhand.

C.      I didn’t know they stopped teaching cursive.

D.     What a waste of time. What about Latin?    

What are the benefits of adding cursive to the curriculum?

A.     Improves spelling, motor skills, and hand-eye coordination  

B.     Signing legal documents and writing checks  

C.      Reading my parents’ love letters

D.     Students can write their own absentee excuses

What should our elementary students be learning besides cursive?

A.     Latin

B.     United States History

C.      Leonard Cohen’s musical catalogue  

D.     Writing with artificial intelligence

What careers are open to those who can read cursive?  

A.     Digital subscriber for the Smithsonian

B.     Teachers

C.      Historians

D.     Transcribing spells for wizards, witches, and magical beings.

What was the first instrument you used to write?    

A.     Pencil

B.     Leaky fountain pen

C.      Don’t ask. I was traumatized by the whole experience.

D.     Voice dictation

Have you ever had a pen pal?

A.     I still have pen pals.

B.      Sounds like fun. Sign me up.

C.      I’ve thought about writing to inmates.

D.     I exchange notes with my neighbor. She leaves a note on my car when I park in her spot, and I put a note when her dog does his business on my lawn.

How would you describe your signature?

A.     Big and bold like me.

B.     Tidy, tiny and unassuming  

C.      A cross between printing and writing

D.     Unruly, illegible, but hey, it’s unique.  

Do people compliment you on your signature?

A.     I’ve been told my handwriting is mesmerizing.

B.     Everyone says I have a doctor’s handwriting. Does that mean it’s awful?

C.      Sometimes. People who love loopy loops.  

D.     People ask: What language is that? Are you writing in code? Can you spell that for me?  

What is the most valuable or oldest handwritten document in your possession?

A.     I’m proud to own my great-great grandmother’s molasses cake recipe written in her own hand.

B.     A Girl Scout cookie order form (circa 1973) because it proves I could sell anything to anyone.

C.      My college essay.

D.     A postcard from the window installer looks like it’s handwritten.    

What historical documents would you like to see, read, or interpret?     

A.     Declaration of Independence

B.     Gettysburg Address

C.      Correspondence between Abigail and John Adams

D.     Give me the faint and fading documents

Key: For those with an abundance of As, buy yourself a journal. If your responses were mainly Bs, you understand the business and historical value of cursive writing. Readers who chose the C answers have good outlook on life.Write me a letter, please. If you circled more Ds, may this quiz inspire you to become a more well-rounded individual. But don’t fret if you had a few Bs, some Cs, and the rest As because it’s all for fun.