Is cursive writing a dying art? Some Maritime teachers beg to differ.

While cursive writing is often over looked thanks to new technologies, some teachers say signatures could look different in the future.

Good old fashioned writer’s cramp has been replaced with typing on keyboards and texting on phones in the digital world, but teachers say there may be other concerns for curtailing cursive writing.

Education experts say cursive writing is still an important skill that research has tied to other abilities, such as spelling and composition.

Hannah Horne Robinson of Sylvan Learning in Halifax says the craft is still relevant in the classroom; howver, printing skills are on the downward trend because students are generally more focused on their daily lives.

“They're busy texting using abbreviations short forms words or in cases where spelling doesn't matter so trying to teach the importance of writing putting your thoughts on paper communicating in the written form is definitely key,” says Horne.

Shambala school teacher Susan Williams says she has always loved cursive writing and admires the craft like art.

“The actual action that your hand is going through is actually connecting your right and left brain and that is hidden we forgotten that that's important,” says Williams. “I actually feel that it's really developmentally what children need to learn for their brains to really gain all of the capacities that they have.”

Parents also agree in this age of technology handwriting can mean less time in front of a screen.

 “I write in cursive at home so they mimic what they see me do the top of my pen wiggles and they would wiggle the top of their pen but they started using cursive here at school so that's how they write in your journal's at home,” says parent Allison Moz.

Teachers and parents alike say they share a point of pride when a child can write their own name.

“I feel very bad for anyone who doesn't know how to sign their name and an emoji just wouldn't cut it."

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Marie Adsett.