Laura

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Name:: Laura
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This Oughta Be Good

Education > K through 12 > Cursive Writing

Cursive Writing

We just watched a little piece about how schools don't teach cursive handwriting like they used to. It's still required in California, but the teachers don't spend a lot of time on it because they don't think it's going to help someone with their future career and there are so many other things like touch typing they consider more important. And a lot of people just print when they have to handwrite something, rather than using longhand.

This makes sense, but as some teachers pointed out, if children aren't taught how to read and write longhand, they are going to have trouble reading letters from their grandparents and historical documents.

I am picturing future generations looking at a letter from grandma as if it were written in a foreign language. They'll have to go to a nursing home and get someone to read it to them. It reminds me of that expression 'It's all Greek to me.'

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posted on Dec 17, 2012 10:50 AM ()

Comments:

hadn't thought about the impact of reading old documents, but that is a valid point.

comment by kristilyn3 on Dec 29, 2012 7:07 AM ()

It's strange to think of something we took for granted becoming so obsolete that it's a specialized skill all of a sudden.

reply by troutbend on Jan 3, 2013 3:05 PM ()

I too learned with the Palmer method and personality took over as I aged and my handwriting got "more interesting". However, it is readable. But I can write Palmer or my own version any time. I think the trend away from cursive is foolish and limits one's range. It's the same as using adding machine devices and never learning how to multiply or add a column of figures without a machine. I use an adding machine because it is faster, but I wouldn't be lost without one.

comment by tealstar on Dec 26, 2012 1:59 PM ()

What I learned was a modification of the Palmer method, but I don't know what it was called so can't find out more about it. I make my small r differently than most people.

reply by troutbend on Jan 3, 2013 3:01 PM ()

Reminds me of a story my sister once told me. My aunt, who does a lot of family history work, gave her a letter and asked if she could translate it. My sister, who speaks four foreign languages, began reading the letter and burst out laughing! "It's written in english!" she exclaimed. Turns out this foreign immigrant ancestor wrote the letter in phonetic english but with a thick Norwegian accent.

comment by maggiemae on Dec 18, 2012 2:40 PM ()

Isn't that something! I have an old family letter from England, written in 1959, and to save paper, they wrote across, and then wrote over the top of those words in another direction. I guess they got used to reading it that way.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:06 PM ()

ITS all Greek to me

in this age of ours every thing changes so fast, unfortuately cursive writing is gone,-ME -i print my writing at least i can read it

soon it will be done by home printers only

comment by kevinshere on Dec 17, 2012 9:36 PM ()

I was taught a more modern cursive, with a different shape lower case r (it has a hump, not a slanty shed roof look), and my husband claims he can't read my writing.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:07 PM ()

Ted hates to see cursive disappear but I am glad because my hand writing is
horrible.

comment by elderjane on Dec 17, 2012 4:56 PM ()

Mine got really bad towards the end of my working career, to where I couldn't read it myself. It's better now that I'm retired, but that's just my opinion. I have a few friends and family with no email, so I write to them frequently.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:09 PM ()

This was my best subject in school.I loved this and always has and sad that they to not teach this anymore that I can think of.Now people are printing their letters instead of writing and of course texting.This is very simple and cannot why they cannot read this.

comment by fredo on Dec 17, 2012 4:00 PM ()

Some of the children in the piece I saw said they enjoyed learning the longhand and using it. It develops fine motor skills, and is sort of artistic, so it might live on in a small way as art.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:10 PM ()

My opinion of schools of education is so low that I'd be surprised if recent graduates have the capability to adequately teach cursive... or anything else, for that matter.

comment by steve on Dec 17, 2012 2:18 PM ()

You're right - the teachers were pretty dismissive about it. They are so pressured to have their kids pass those tests so they can get good evaluations and keep their jobs. The education system in Las Vegas is so dismal. I was going to say it's a joke, but it's not funny.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:12 PM ()

I learned using the Palmer Method. Hours and hours of loops and slanted lines. Grandson was taught the basics, can't print well or use cursive well either.

comment by boots586 on Dec 17, 2012 1:59 PM ()

I'm sure you've seen the old writing from the 1800s, back when it was just beautiful. I'm sorry those days are gone, but not sorry enough to write like that myself.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:16 PM ()

When I was in graduate school we had to calculate statistics by hand because that is how the professors had done it. At the time I was graduating, the old method was being replaced with software. Naturally we in the old school have a better understanding of how a particular statistic works because we are aware of the mechanics behind it. I have to admit that I don't use cursive very often these days, but as a form of communication, something would be missing without it. Perhaps I don't like the thought of a historical form of communication disappearing forever, but the more I think about it the less I believe that kids today need cursive.

comment by jjoohhnn on Dec 17, 2012 12:07 PM ()

When I took statistics, electronic calculators had just barely come out. There was a calculator lab where we had to sign up for time to use one of them in order to do our homework. I was so horrible at statistics, got a C in it, but the instructor told me it was 'the tippy top C.' I was sleeping with the guy (not to get a good grade, as far as I remember) but it was kind of irritating to find out later that hadn't helped to get me the bottom of the barrel B.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:19 PM ()

'they are going to have trouble reading letters from their grandparents and historical documents.' Grandparents are already on the Internet as are documents that can be 'translated' into print--sad but snail mail won't exist within 5-10 years--hopefully parents will teach writing to their kids.

comment by greatmartin on Dec 17, 2012 11:24 AM ()

I'm sure people will get by somehow, even if they have to track down an old person who can help them read the occasional letter written in longhand.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:20 PM ()

I couldn't read my grandmother's writing but that is not a reflection on my knowledge of cursive writing.

comment by nittineedles on Dec 17, 2012 11:03 AM ()

Same here. There were some words in my grandmother's letters I could only decipher by looking at the context, and some of them I never did figure out. I wish I had saved all her letters.

reply by troutbend on Dec 20, 2012 10:22 PM ()

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