Midway Hills Academy (MHA) was recognized by the Georgia Department of Education with the prestigious John Hancock Award, celebrating the school’s commitment to excellence in cursive instruction. This honor is awarded to schools where at least 90% of students demonstrate proficiency in writing their name in cursive, underscoring the academic and developmental importance of handwriting in today’s classrooms.
While the state mandate for cursive instruction went into effect this school year, Midway Hills Academy began implementing it a year early. Principal Terri Carty explained that MHA seized the opportunity when its new phonics curriculum incorporated cursive writing.
“We knew cursive was going to be an expectation in fourth and fifth grade, so we got started right away,” Carty said. “That gave our teachers a head start and allowed them to be ready for full implementation this year instead of treating it as a learning year.”
Instructional coach Natalie Puckett added that the decision was also about giving students confidence and critical skills earlier in their learning journey.
“In third grade, we start with the letter formations and move into words,” she said. “We wanted to make sure that before they left third grade, our students could sign an official signature.
From there, they progress into sentences and paragraphs in the higher grades.”
Research shows that cursive supports literacy, memory retention, and fine motor development, while also freeing up mental resources for higher-level thinking.
Puckett emphasized the real-world and historical importance of the skill:
Connecting to history: Without knowing cursive, many individuals cannot read any historical documents.
Practical life skills: Students need to be able to sign their names legally for paychecks, contracts, and other official documents. Printing isn’t considered a legal signature.
Cognitive growth:
Cursive builds brain connections faster than printing, helping students capture their thoughts more fluently.
Rather than resisting the return of cursive, students at MHA have embraced it wholeheartedly.
“They’ll ask to practice in their free time,” Puckett said. “During indoor recess, instead of doodling, they’ll be writing in cursive. For many of them, it feels like an art form. They add little flourishes to personalize their signatures.”
Though cursive is not formally assessed on state milestones, it is embedded in Georgia’s ELA standards and plays an informal role in student success. State Superintendent Richard Woods has called cursive “more than just a writing skill — it’s a connection to history, critical thinking, and personal expression.”
Carty summed up the school’s achievement best: “Our teachers and students worked hard to make sure cursive wasn’t just a requirement, but something meaningful.
We’re proud that Midway Hills Academy is being recognized for preparing students with skills they’ll carry throughout their lives.”