From Campus to Classroom: Stories That Shape Education
- Holmes Middle School's Cursive Club grew into a popular, unexpected writing renaissance among students.
- Teacher Sherisse Kenerson says cursive activates more brain regions than printing or typing, boosting learning.
- The club fosters creativity and empowerment, helping students feel different and write their own life script.
- Members say documents like the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights belong in cursive; a student said it can help prevent fraud.
In a digital world, one Virginia middle school is reviving cursive, boosting brainpower, confidence, and creativity as students rediscover the joy of writing.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — If you want to understand how separated our world has become, look no further than the way we write, clean, printed letters stranded on the page, spaced like islands.
But inside one classroom at Holmes Middle School in Alexandria, Virginia, those islands start to connect.
Cursive is making a comeback.
“Alright, it looks like my friends are getting done with their Ms and Ns,” teacher Sherisse Kenerson calls out as students bend over their notebooks, loops and curls taking shape.
Four years ago, she launched the school’s Cursive Club, expecting modest interest. What she got instead was a full-fledged writing renaissance.
What began as a niche idea has grown into one of the school’s most popular activities.
Members say they can’t imagine American history written any other way. A Declaration of Independence without its iconic flourishes? Not so captivating. The Bill of Rights in print? That wouldn’t look right.
For Kenerson, the benefits stretch far beyond aesthetics. She teaches students that research shows cursive activates more regions of the brain than printing or typing.
And in one case, the club sparked a surprising insight.
“One of the students actually brought to my attention, ‘This is going to help me prevent fraud,’” Kenerson said.
But the real heart of the club is about fostering originality.
She wants her students to write their own life script, whether or not it’s actually in script.
“I think they’re empowered by the fact that, hey — I’m different,” she said.
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