Plain English Breakdown
The official text mentions a separate paragraph (u) regarding Medal of Honor values that meets requirements for another section; this explanation focuses only on cursive instruction.
Required Instruction in Cursive Writing
This law requires Florida public schools to teach cursive writing skills to students in grades 2 through 5 and asks them to show they can write legibly by the end of fifth grade.
What This Bill Does
- Requires teachers to give instruction on cursive writing for students in grades 2, 3, 4, and 5.
- Mandates that lessons cover letter formation, proper spacing and alignment, and practice with full words and sentences.
- Sets a rule that every student must show they are proficient in cursive by the end of fifth grade through an evaluation of their written work.
Who It Names or Affects
- Students enrolled in grades 2 through 5 in Florida public schools.
- Instructional staff members who teach these grade levels.
- The State Board of Education, which is encouraged to create standards and assessments for this instruction.
Terms To Know
- Proficiency in cursive writing
- The ability to write all uppercase and lowercase letters legibly with proper spacing while using cursive for essays, assignments, and literacy development as required by state academic standards.
- Letter formation
- Learning the correct way to shape each letter when writing in cursive style.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law encourages but does not require the State Board of Education to adopt specific standards or assessments.
- The text does not specify exactly how schools must evaluate students, only that an evaluation of written work is needed.
- It is unclear if this instruction replaces other writing time or adds new class periods.