Cursive Writing
IBM/Flickr(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Gut Microbes And Mood; Reading Cursive In Historical Documents; Kids And YA Book Recommendations

We all know that the nutrients we eat affect our physical health, but what about our mental health? We talk about the connection between the gut and the brain. And, fewer students are learning cursive in elementary and middle school. And some educators worry that this could spell trouble for preserving the billions of handwritten documents in our national archives. Plus, we’re wrapping up our series of summer book recommendations with some of our favorites for kids and young adults. 

State Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch demonstrates his own penmanship on the House calendar after his cursive bill became law.
Dusty Rhodes/NPR Illinois

Cursive Law Becomes Welch’s Signature Issue

With teachers devoting much of their time to preparing students for standardized tests, penmanship has disappeared from the curriculum in many schools. A new state law approved Wednesday will bring it back, to ensure elementary students get instruction in cursive writing — sometime between 2nd and 5th grade.

More articles →