COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is set to introduce cursive handwriting lessons for students in grades 3 through 5 starting this fall.

In accordance with Georgia’s K-12 English Language Arts Standards, students will begin learning cursive in the third grade, with continued instruction and practice through the fourth and fifth grades.

The Georgia Dept. of Education says the goal is for students to read and write in cursive fluently and automatically.

The GaDOE has distributed a cursive handwriting guidance packet designed as a teaching resource for students, parents, and educators. According to this packet, it’s important for students to have a strong base in print writing, visual-motor coordination, and spatial understanding before they start learning cursive.

GaDOE suggests schools adopt a consistent writing style, like Zaner-Bloser and D’Nealian.

They say this approach should coordinate with the print handwriting style used in grades K-2 to ensure a smooth transition for students.