"If it's not tested, it doesn't get taught" is the prevailing belief that guides many educators' practice of only teaching skills that are addressed in the latest governing standards. Most states have now adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which don't cover handwriting or spelling. Consequently, some states and school districts have stopped--or will stop--teaching these skills, which support the composing process. Although the CCSS specify desired goals at specific grade levels, the standards do not offer a plan for reaching those goals that takes into account the scope and sequence of developmentally appropriate curriculum "and" teaching practices. Even though handwriting is not specifically covered in the CCSS, handwriting instruction and mastery of the practice help students meet the standards that are included. Through handwriting students fine-tune several motor skills: (1) planning handwriting movements; (2) controlling them during letter production; and (3) executing them. Despite advances in computer technology, research supports the argument that today's students still need instruction in handwriting for two primary reasons. First, learning to form letters by hand improves perception of letters and contributes to better reading and spelling. Second, automatic letter writing promotes better composing--both amount written and quality of writing. Schools that have halted or plan to stop handwriting instruction should reconsider. Educators can set up their students for academic success by choosing an instructional program for handwriting that supports Common Core standards, providing adequate professional development for teaching handwriting, and assessing students' development of legible and automatic handwriting.