“A return to phonics and, for example, cursive writing is another example where the government is leaning into the evidence and following the voice of many parents who wanted us to really embrace those practices that for generations have worked.”

There isn’t a lot of research specifically on cursive writing, Peterson said, but the work that has been done shows that it not only teaches students the skill of writing that script in and of itself, but it helps to reinforce overall literacy.

Reading between the lines here, I get the impression that this change is red meat for a boomer base who thinks things were perfect when they were kids and don't see why kids in the modern era ought to be doing things any differently. I'm 39. I did learn cursive in school and about the only time I've ever used it since is my signature. Yet I could blow any boomer out of the water with regards to hand eye coordination. You know why? Video games and touch typing.