TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The Kansas Department of Education is asking school districts how extensively they're teaching cursive handwriting.

Results of a survey will be presented to the state Board of Education at a meeting this week in Topeka.

Schools around the country are spending less time on handwriting instruction as students do more of their work on computers. Experts say students accustomed to writing on computers at home have a hard time seeing the relevance of spending hours practicing handwriting.

But the National Association of State Boards of Education wrote in a September policy update that there are benefits. The association says handwriting is a basic skill that can help students in reading, writing, language use and critical thinking.