Cursive handwriting is actually slower and more interrupted than block printing which debunks the myth that connected letters save time.
Script handwriting beats cursive in every measure of speed and fluid movement for the average adult. Traditional education systems have promoted cursive for centuries under the assumption that never lifting the pen makes writing more efficient. Detailed tracking of French writers reveals that the complex loops of cursive actually require more cognitive effort and physical hesitation than printing. Script allows for shorter, more direct strokes that the motor cortex processes with much higher accuracy. This finding challenges the continued inclusion of cursive in modern school curriculums across the globe. Moving away from cursive could help people record their thoughts faster and with less physical fatigue.
Which wins the race in French adult handwriting styles: cursive or script?
PsyArXiv · gdkjn_v1
In the French educational context, children learn to read in script but to write in cursive, resulting in dual visual–motor coding that may influence writing habits in adulthood. This study examined how handwriting styles are organized in adults, and how they impact performance at both a motor (writing) and perceptual (reading) levels. The first experiment analyzed the spontaneous production of isolated lowercase letters and text copying. Results revealed that most participants used both script