2022 -- H 7606

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LC004869

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CURRICULUM

     Introduced By: Representatives Quattrocchi, Price, Nardone, Roberts, Fenton-Fung, and
Filippi

     Date Introduced: March 02, 2022

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. The general assembly hereby adopts the following findings:

     1. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin, characterized

by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities

that typically result from a deficiency in the phonological component of language, and often

unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom

instruction, with secondary consequences which include problems with reading comprehension and

reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. See

International Dyslexia Association.

     2. Twenty percent (20%) of school age children in the United States are dyslexic. See, the

Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

     3. Dyslexia does not reflect an overall defect in language, but a localized weakness within

the phonologic module of the brain, where sounds of language are put together to form words or

break words down into sounds.

     5. Most children identified as having characteristics of dyslexia and related disorders can

be remediated successfully by explicit, systematic, multisensory instruction in phonics and

morphology.

     6. Research suggests that learning to read and write in cursive benefits the development of

cognitive, motor, and literacy skills. See, Cursive Writing Benefits To Help Dyslexic Children,

StartWrite India, July 2018, medium.com.

     7. The instruction in cursive handwriting has been associated with improved academic

outcomes for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. See, Why Bother With Cursive,

Diana Hanbury King, 2015, dyslexiaida.org; Cursive Handwriting Helps Students Overcome

Dyslexia, 2016, newroom.domtar.com.

     8. When intervention is delayed, it takes four (4) times as long to intervene in fourth grade

as it does in late kindergarten because of brain development and because of the increase in content

for students to learn as they grow older. See, National Institute of Child Health and Human

Development.

     SECTION 2. Chapter 16-22 of the General Laws entitled "Curriculum [See Title 16

Chapter 97 - the Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding thereto the

following section:

     16-22-23.1. Instruction in handwriting in public school curriculum.

     (a) All school districts shall incorporate instruction on cursive handwriting into the

curriculum for students in elementary school.

     (b) The curriculum shall include activities and instructional materials that promotes

students to become proficient in reading cursive and writing in cursive legibly by the end of grade

three (3) in elementary school.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CURRICULUM

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     This act would provide that all school districts shall incorporate cursive handwriting into

elementary school curriculum in order to be proficient by third grade.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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