Cursive writing makes a comeback in Koria School, Kouvola as students express renewed interest

In the first hour of school at Koria School in Kouvola, a focused atmosphere prevails. A group of fourth graders diligently uses pencils to trace intricate letters onto paper. Class teacher Katja Sorsa has introduced cursive writing as an elective, responding to the students’ own interest. “I have been very surprised that the children requested this and how easily they have learned,” Sorsa notes.

Thirteen students enrolled in the cursive writing workshop at Koria School, and this initiative is not isolated; similar courses are available in places like Turku and Oulu. For instance, fifth graders at Martinniemi School in Oulu have expressed a desire to learn cursive to read messages from grandparents. They also wish to incorporate cursive into their signatures.

Students believe the main difference between cursive and modern print letters lies in how the letters connect. “It is indeed slower to write because you have to link the letters together, but writing is different and fun because cursive looks more beautiful,” says Venla Yli-Kankahila. Another student, Miila Monto, acknowledges confusion between lowercase ‘m’ and ‘n’ due to their similarities in cursive form. Others describe additional nuances that make cursive distinctive.

Cursive writing was largely removed from the Finnish school curriculum starting in autumn 2016, shifting focus toward teaching efficient printing and typing skills. However, the curriculum allows for cursive if it supports students’ writing fluency.

Despite the decrease in cursive instruction, feedback indicates that students’ handwriting has become clearer since the transition away from cursive. Katja Sorsa anticipates that a unique handwriting style usually develops in third and fourth grades, regardless of whether the students learned cursive or print.