Several items I cherish most in life are found in a recipe box atop the refrigerator. The other, tucked away in my office in the file cabinet.

The items have two common threads. They are handwritten in cursive by Grandma Larson and my parents. Dad’s and Grandma’s pieces have similar attributes: precise penmanship, straight strokes, perfect loops. Mom’s handwriting is a bit more fanciful, letters strung together with sweeping lines, curlicues highlighting each capital letter.

If I ask any of my grandchildren to read these examples, they can’t. In an age where curriculum is crowded wi...