Cursive writing - soon to be lost art?

[speedog]

So one of my sons mused in Facebook as to whether or not cursive (long hand) writing is going to become a lost art.

Personally, I think it's destined to be a lost art - I learned cursive writing in grade school in the sixties but will readily admit that I could not write the whole alphabet in both cases in cursive writing. Our family has a handful of relatives who still send actual letters or cards in cursive writing and while I can still read cursive writing with ease, it is not something I regularly practice myself.

That said, do they still teach cursive writing in schools - I've heard varying conflicting reports as to whether it's still taught or not. Should it still be taught? Better yet, I do know people that have difficulty writing the whole alphabet down in block letters - the extensive use of computing devices in our everyday lives is erasing the ability of some people being able to put something down on paper in a legible form.

The cursive alphabet...


» Click image for larger version

[sheik_yerbouti]

It depends on the teacher and school. If you're in the public or Catholic board, it depends on the teacher and culture of the school. If you're in a private or charter school, it depends on what is mandated. I know of a few charter schools which mandate cursive writing instruction, because they're 'back to the basics', and stuff like that.

I'm on the side of teaching cursive, I teach upper grades (7-12), and the kids complain like I'm skinning them alive when I make them write out notes. Every time I make them take notes at least one kid takes a picture of them with their phone, and figures they've done their work. This of course leads to a discussion on how writing down things improve learning and recall of them. I wish they knew cursive because it would make their lives easier in this respect.

And while technology has replaced the need for handwriting, I've become more and more jaded with technology in the classroom. I was pretty enthusiastic about it earlier in my career, and I found some really good uses for it. Now, I'm seeing it increasingly as a distraction. I'm in a school with laptops, tablets, workstations, and other toys, and I'm pretty skilled with using them, but I don't think they're paying off for the kids. I'm not completely against technology in schools, I think it's important to teach students how to touch type (which most don't), to learn proper research techniques, and explicitly teach the technology and applications. But when you have a class full of 13 year old kids "taking notes" on their tablets, I guarantee you that half of the boys are playing Madden.

I guess I went on a bit of a rant there, but to summarize it; cursive good, and technology overused.

[dirtsniffer]

I still hand write in my logbook every day, legibly as well.

I think it's important for kids to learn to write and spell, maybe I'm old fashioned. lol

[flipstah]

I can still write cursive but minimal writing has butchered it.

It was mandatory in grade schools I went to in Asia. Couldn't leave class until the letters were right.

Fuck yeah, it should be taught. Helps you forge signatures for report cards.

[AndyL]

Cursive sucks! Fast for notes but terrible to interpret.

I do block letters as taught in drafting 10/20/30 and all uppercase too - maybe that's my problem - I think I'm yelling at myself constantly

[HHURICANE1]

Years of filling out forms at work has robbed me of my admittedly poor ability to write cursive in any legible form. I keep thinking that I should practice it again but there are so few times I need it it keeps slipping my mind and it gets put on the back burner. That said, everyone should learn it.

[Recca168]

I remember learning it in grade school. Always thought it took too long with write in cursive text especially if it needed to be legible. Working software now so I type basically everything

[msommers]

Rirruto?

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by msommers
Rirruto?

Those are Z's

[theken]

I use cursive everyday, not very legible, but when I write it is generally handwritten

[speedog]

Originally posted by theken
I use cursive everyday, not very legible, but when I write it is generally handwritten

Isn't cursive always handwritten?

[firebane]

I learned cursive all through elementary school and I still retain most of it today. There are some letters like the letter z that I apparently forgot LOL but how often is that letter used?

Also I find that cursive is a slower form of writing and is more deemed for sending letters to loved ones etc.

But cursive writing is like a lot of stuff taught and is become forgotten. Soon most kids won't even know how to properly do math because of calculators and phones.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by flipstah
I can still write cursive but minimal writing has butchered it.

Fuck yeah, it should be taught. Helps you forge signatures for report cards.

I had the same thought. How do kids sign for stuff nowadays? I guess PIN's, fingerprints, and retina scans.
I also remember enrolling myself in a cursive calligraphy class during lunch hours in third grade; my dad decked me out with a fancy fountain pen set when everyone else had some crappy grand-and-toy pen.

Originally posted by AndyL
Cursive sucks! Fast for notes but terrible to interpret.

I wanna know what font they're teaching General Practitioners...

Originally posted by firebane
Soon most kids won't even know how to properly do math because of calculators and phones.

I've lost count of how many times I've stood at the cashier watching them figure out what coins to pick up for $0.83 in change. Or when that number comes up and I scrounge up $0.15 and they're even more confused now. Reminds me why I should always pay with Credit Card.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by firebane
I learned cursive all through elementary school and I still retain most of it today. There are some letters like the letter z that I apparently forgot LOL but how often is that letter used?

Also I find that cursive is a slower form of writing and is more deemed for sending letters to loved ones etc.

But cursive writing is like a lot of stuff taught and is become forgotten. Soon most kids won't even know how to properly do math because of calculators and phones.

Unfortunately, the love letter will be replaced by dick pics.

Nice knowing you, civilization.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by flipstah
Unfortunately, the love letter will be replaced by dick pics.

Nice knowing you, civilization.

[Feruk]

How often do most people hand write in cursive at work? Never? So why do we bother teaching it? The collective knowledge of our civilization is doubling every 30 years, so I question if the time to teach a "skill" that most people never use afterwards could be better spent. I suspect cursive is headed the way of the slide rule, and I'm not complaining one bit. The block letters are good enough.

[HiTempguy1]

The only time I write anything by hand is when it is absolutely necessary. Mainly protests/inquiries at rally races or... um... that's about it.

Everything goes onto a phone/email nowadays. I always find paper makes such a huge f'in mess and just ends up collecting dust somewhere but you don't want to throw it out because "it is important".

I think cursive should still be taught though. Writing notes is important for recollection, and it probably is a great way to develop hand eye coordination.

[codetrap]

.

[flipstah]

Rusty and I'd fail class.

[taemo]

cursive writing and imo writing in general should still be taught, it's a great learning tool as writing thigns down helps with memory too.

I work in IT and prefer writing things down on a piece of paper over notepad although my writing sucks and sometimes illegible
I also write in a hybrid cursive/print mode, basically whichever makes my writing faster