What if handwriting is once again integral to the worlds of communication and commerce? If so, your kid, down the line, may end up needing handwriting more than we thought. But will she ever be able to achieve real graphic fluency, given that cursive is no longer taught in many schools?

Back in 1982, Cialdini wrote, "Something special happens when people personally put their commitments on paper: they live up to what they have written down." That's why change guru Tony Robbins recommends that people commit their goals to paper. And that is why it would be worth your time to write down your resolutions for change, and to sign the page.

Recent research confirms that those bringing pen and paper back into daily life are on the right track. A study performed at the UCLA showed that jotting notes by hand improves a student's ability to conceptually understand material covered in a lecture, as well as to recall facts, compared to students who took notes on a laptop.

Cursive, and all of its inherent benefits, provides us a link to our past, connectivity within our present and a portal to our future. For these and so many other reasons, cursive is a skill that must remain within our schools and our cultural realm.