What's happening
This bill requires New York public schools to teach cursive writing and ensure students memorize multiplication tables.
Why it matters
Reintroducing Cursive Writing. The bill ensures that all public school students learn cursive, which could help them read historical documents, sign their names, and potentially improve fine motor skills and cognitive development.
Focus on Fundamental Math Skills. By requiring memorization of multiplication tables, the bill aims to strengthen students’ foundational math abilities, which are crucial for more advanced math and everyday problem-solving.
Standardization Across Schools. Mandating these requirements statewide could reduce disparities in basic skills instruction, ensuring all students—regardless of district—acquire a common set of essential academic competencies.
Practical Impacts for Students. Mastery of cursive and multiplication tables could benefit students in standardized testing, future academic work, and practical life situations, such as filling out forms or performing mental math.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Teach Cursive and Times Tables
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Print number 5140a
- Amend and recommit to education
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Teach Cursive and Multiplication Tables
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Jeffrey Dinowitz
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5140--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 9, 2017
Introduced by Sen. JACOBS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction in cursive writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part of the basic education program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding two new sections 817 and 818 to read as follows:
§ 817. Courses of instruction in cursive writing. The standard course of study shall include the requirement that public schools provide instruction in cursive writing so that students create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade.
§ 818. Instruction relating to multiplication tables. The standard course of study shall include the requirement that students enrolled in public schools memorize multiplication tables to demonstrate competency in efficiently multiplying numbers.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to school years commencing on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03432-02-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction in cursive writing and memorization of multiplication tables as part of the basic education program
Purpose
This bill would require that cursive writing and memorization of multi- plication tables are taught as part of the basic education program.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the education law by adding two new sections 817 and 818. The new section 817 would require that during the standard course of study cursive writing shall be instructed so that students create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade. The new section 818 would require the standard course of study to include the instruction of memorizing multiplication tables to demonstrate competency in efficiently multiplying numbers.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
Justification
According to an article published by the National Institute of Health by Karin H. James and Laura Engelhardt, "The Effects of handwriting experi- ence on functional brain development in pre-literate children," there is evidence suggesting that handwriting of letters influences brain acti- vation during letter perception in important ways, and that handwriting can therefore help with reading development in young children. There- fore, without diminishing the increasing prevalence of typing skills, New York State should continue to maintain a policy that promotes hand- writing and cursive skills, as a way to promote literacy in young chil- dren, but also to ensure that a skill as basic as signing one's own name is not lost on students. Additionally the ability for pupils to show competency in basic multiplication through a proven method schools have used for years is very important. This bill would require that these two fundamental building blocks of our children's education are not removed from schools simply because they are not required as part of any of the now numerous standardized tests students are subjected to.
Legislative history
2015-16: A.387 - Referred to Education 2013-14: A.8651 - Held for Consideration in Education
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to school years commencing on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.