Is cursive writing relevant today?

a reply to: James1982

I don't have an answer but, all of us learned more than the current group of children. We learned through various different methods and none of the parents o speak to are familiar with the methods this generation is learning.

Calligraphy was part of art when I was in school. We drew different graffiti type fonts for fun. Now, there's texting. No need to do more than download emoji and stickers

a reply to: ketsuko
i have met many people who have so wonderful handwriting but couldn´t draw a thing. I believe you are giving too much credit for cursive writing when same thing can be done with kids drawing books which have fade lines which needs to be followed to see picture well and other drawings which is actually fun for kid.. so why they need to sweat over cursive ?

a reply to: EternalSolace

Cursive is taught in many UK schools, it isn't obligatory and it is a more basic form than the beautiful scripts previously taught in schools pre 1960's, and often seen in old documents and manuscripts.

IMO it is a skill that traverses the process of writing and adds an extra dimension to the cognitive processes and fluidity of thought, appreciation of beauty and of fast thinking.

I write cursive with both hands, my right hand is more archaic and my left sometimes is slightly more angular especially when writing large amounts quickly. I write faster than anyone I know and find my writing even faster if I use a fountain pen.

I also use a dip pen and ink, either metal nib or a goose feather for drawing and sometimes for calligraphy, which is another skill people should learn, as part of our heritage.

I took the GRE earlier this month, and let me tell you, the hardest part of that test, by far, was the paragraph they made my copy in cursive before I started swearing I was who I said I was. I haven't written in cursive, other than my scribbly signature, for over 20 years.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: James1982

By the same token, no one can argue that the standard of American education has gone in the crapper and it was much better before ... when we taught cursive.

That might be a valid point if cursive was removed from the curriculum and then we saw our school system failing, but it wasn't. Cursive has been, and is still being taught, while the schools have been sliding downhill the entire time. You can't blame the current state of education on a lack of cursive, because there isn't a lack of it.

I tend to agree with the previous poster who said:

"Sadly our eduication system has been smashed with the Trivium (grammer, logic, rhetoric) no longer taught. Regurgitation of information from federally mandated course books is now education."

Cursive was/is a tool to meet an end, not an end itself, and that end is communication. I'm sure some study somewhere could show that stone carving and clay-pad imprinting have some sort of benefit to a student's intellect, but most would agree we are past the time when such things are of any significant value to today's students.

I don't disagree that we should look back into history to find a better way to educate students, I just don't think cursive was the reason education used to be better.

a reply to: James1982

Do governments want a population of thinkers and ethical philosophers or a population of robots that vote?

a reply to: EternalSolace

Some schools have stropped teaching cursive writing altogether. How are people going to sign their names on legal documents or electronically? I just don't get it.

Hold onto your autographed sports memorabilia, they'll probably triple in value when the new up and coming professional aesthetes will only be able print their name or make a check mark on a baseball.

a reply to: James1982

Sometimes typed (or written for that matter) communication does not begin to cover the actual meaning.

I intentionally went overboard, to make a point. And honestly, given that cursive is going by the wayside, I do see an argument being made not unlike the sarcastic one I made earlier regarding any and all handwriting.

originally posted by: James1982

originally posted by: Iwinder
It really saddens me to see our very heritage being chopped and snipped off a little bit at a time. It won't be long and we are going to emerge as a new species. I see no benefit of this erasing of our history.

Ahhh well I am an old fart so please forgive my opinions :-)

S&F
Regards, Iwinder

Learning history, and practicing it are two separate things. Sure, present the idea of cursive and offer an extra curricular class for those interested, but class time is extremely valuable and in short supply these days, I hardly think the hours and hours dedicated to teaching/learning cursive couldn't be better spent on an array of different things.

American schools are already turning into garbage compared to most of the developed world, and it's not because children don't know cursive. But by all means, let's dedicate more of that school time to something that doesn't benefit the child or their future prospects, just because it feels good to old-timers!

I said in another thread earlier that they should teach American Sign Language instead of cursive. I'm sure the deaf kids would really appreciate it if more people could communicate easier with them.

All this talk of "preserving heritage"... our heritage also used to take a dump outside in a hole in the ground.

Where are all the "save the outhouses" threads?

Give me a good swype keyboard any day. I can put words down fast as thought with one.
Like this one: play.google.com...

[disclosure: 12 years of Catholic school made me hate cursive, and religion too ain't that a laugh]

i don’t think the signature is a worry. you can even sign using all capital letters. it is your personal style that will shine through and will make it different. As long as you develop a style that can't be easily copied. I have seen illiterate people using XXX as signatures and you could tell every time to whom it belonged.

I am very proud of my handwriting. I taught it myself imitating the handwriting from a family members writing style I admired and from old letters from artistic ancestors. it only took me a few days practicing.

but I much more admire the new way of writing the newer generations are so good at. two thumbs on the iphones or the system eagle on the ipads. I wish I could do that, I still prefer a good keyboard because I love my very fast 10 finger system. I started practicing the swish-style on my tablet though, I think that is cool.

I also think, cursive writing will be an art and someone capable in cursive as well as in calligraphy will be able to make a living with it.

originally posted by: theabsolutetruth
a reply to: James1982

Do governments want a population of thinkers and ethical philosophers or a population of robots that vote?

ha, i think they want robots who will leave even voting up to them

a reply to: Iamthatbish

FACTOID: you used to be able tell where a person learned to write by the handwriting. School districts used to decide on there own which method to purchase and use.

Really? I wouldn't think there would be that great of a difference nationwide. There can't have been that many variations can there?

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I personally like writing in cursive, though I suppose mine is no longer proper. I can write faster, it strains my hand far less if I have to take extensive notes, it's still legible etc.

I also feel like when writing to someone with pen and paper it makes a better statement about you.

I write exclusively in cursive, I've even adjusted my computer to make many of the default fonts appear cursive. Even I have to admit that spending time on it in school is a waste. Spend the extra time on math, then maybe students will actually understand it.

a reply to: EternalSolace
I loathe writing in cursive. My handwriting is terrible enough as is. My cursive looks like I had a seizure. No form of writing outside a keyboard has been relevant to me since I got my first computer.

It is just as relevant as calligraphy.
a reply to: EternalSolace

I was in elementary school during the late 80s (born 1982) and I can remember cursive writing was taught in grade 3. They told us that it would be a vital skill to have, and that we'd use it all the time in junior high and high school. Other than actually being taught to learn cursive writing, I have used it for nothing except to sign my name. I probably can't even do half the letters anymore if they aren't in my signature.

I can see it having some small relevance akin to an art form such as calligraphy, but for average, daily use? It's as dead as the typewriter. Or the telegram.

originally posted by: DragonsDemesne
I was in elementary school during the late 80s (born 1982) and I can remember cursive writing was taught in grade 3. They told us that it would be a vital skill to have, and that we'd use it all the time in junior high and high school. Other than actually being taught to learn cursive writing, I have used it for nothing except to sign my name. I probably can't even do half the letters anymore if they aren't in my signature.

I can see it having some small relevance akin to an art form such as calligraphy, but for average, daily use? It's as dead as the typewriter. Or the telegram.

Just the opposite for me, I too was born in 1982. Except I use cursive exclusively. I print on certain keyboards but anything pen and paper is cursive all the way. I actually run into people from time to time that can't read my writing specifically because it's cursive rather than printed. Because of this, I look at my use of cursive as something of a flaw... it actively hinders my ability to communicate with others.

I can still read cursive fine (unless it's writing I wouldn't be able to read anyway, lol) but yeah, I don't think I could write it anymore. I originally said it sounds like an active choice for you to use cursive, but upon closer reading it seems you're actually saying the opposite, which I find quite surprising. I wonder if it's regional; I'm in Canada.

a reply to: ProgressBar

And if all the electronics /systems went down, all the people uneducated in real writing etc would be stumped.

There are worthy skills that are worth keeping and things that are just progress.

originally posted by: DragonsDemesne
I can still read cursive fine (unless it's writing I wouldn't be able to read anyway, lol) but yeah, I don't think I could write it anymore. I originally said it sounds like an active choice for you to use cursive, but upon closer reading it seems you're actually saying the opposite, which I find quite surprising. I wonder if it's regional; I'm in Canada.

I'm in Southern Ohio but I've lived all over, I don't really carry any regional habits other than speech patterns from growing up in Nevada. If I really try to do it I can print, but it's difficult. I have to sit there and think about how each letter is formed, it comes out very slowly and the letters are all mismatched sizes, my upper/lower case k/K's for example always look indistinguishable. I find it odd that I think this way about printing when I type extensively. My theory is that when I type I'm putting the entire symbol for a word onto a screen at once where as printing involves breaking the symbol down into parts, and I just don't remember how to do that well.

Cursive on the other hand flows quite well, I like the way it looks, I have two penmanship styles one neat and formal for things others read and another messy for just me, I can write fast and it's actually fun to form the letters.

That said, I'm starting to run into people daily that cannot read cursive, I recently transferred to a new university and end up spending some time with the younger students as I have to retake some lower level classes due to credit transfer issues. As I have learned from group projects with them, they cannot read cursive at all. One of my instructors has even commented to me at how rare it is to see someone write in cursive these days.

I definitely have the opinion that it's a hindrance to my written communication skills.