The future of handwriting and lefthandedness

Guests: Anne Trubek, Laura Dinehart, Joshua Goodman

Remember all the hours you spent practicing cursive? All the tracing of loops and curlicues? The Common Core curriculum got rid of cursive instruction in the classroom. But some states aren’t ready to let cursive writing fade and have passed laws making it a requirement. Today we look at whether handwriting really matters in this digital age, after all most of us spend more time typing on a keyboard or screen then holding a pen or pencil. Mary Cummings-Jordan talks with ANNE TRUBEK about her new book The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting, and with Florida International University professor LAURA DINEHART about what how handwriting effects brain development and learning. Then, we take a left turn and look at the research around lefthandedness. Harvard University professor JOSHUA GOODMAN dispels some of the myths around southpaws.