Cursive writing

BlunderWoman

BlunderWoman

Senior Member
They are now calling cursive writing 'antiquated'. That truly makes me feel old :D Some are wanting to teach it again because they feel it adds to a child's skills. I agree with that. When I was a child our teacher had is practice making circles and loops and then ups and downs. I remember turning pages and pages of those in . I believe it did in fact help me with hand coordination. Maybe also has helped in in my art work though I can't be sure of that. I also think picking up the pen or pencil to print really slows down writing. Also, I love to get a nicely written letter in cursive. Something rare these days *sigh*. I think cursive should have remained part of the curriculum. What are your thoughts?
 

Doctor's prescriptions are one example of not using proper handwriting. How the pharmacist figures what is written is beyond me.
 
Redd said:
Doctor's prescriptions are one example of not using proper handwriting. How the pharmacist figures what is written is beyond me.
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Oh yeah that's always been a given :D
 

I can see why schools want to get rid of teaching this, but I still think it's a skill everyone should have. Now, what I have noticed over the years is that with all the typing I do, my handwriting has become poorer. I admire my wife's handwriting. It's so precise and easy to read. And of course, there's nothing like a heartfelt, hand written card on a special occasion. We should leave it as a part of the curriculum, but also teach keyboarding skills as well.
 
Redd said:
Doctor's prescriptions are one example of not using proper handwriting. How the pharmacist figures what is written is beyond me.
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My doctor uses a computer. Everything he prescribes goes into my medical record. The pharmacist does the same. It is handy because when hubby and I have reached the government mandated limit, all prescriptions for the rest of the year are free.

In my experience, kids haven't used cursive writing for about forty years. I gave up trying to get them to give up printing long before we had computers available.
 
Bobw235 said:
I can see why schools want to get rid of teaching this, but I still think it's a skill everyone should have. Now, what I have noticed over the years is that with all the typing I do, my handwriting has become poorer. I admire my wife's handwriting. It's so precise and easy to read. And of course, there's nothing like a heartfelt, hand written card on a special occasion. We should leave it as a part of the curriculum, but also teach keyboarding skills as well.
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Calligraphy is popular.
 
I used to have handwriting like Bob's wife, very precise and letters well formed but lately I've developed that old age tremor on more and more days. I used to handwrite letters but gave that up for typing them a couple years ago because of the tremor.

I didn't even know that they don't teach cursive writing anymore.
 
I write and receive letters in cursive writing. I have good handwriting too, easy to read. I think it's a lot easier to write that way instead of printing a page of text. I think they should still teach it, but I guess it's just a part of changing times. I wonder the same as Falcon, will people still sign their names on official documents in cursive, or have they already stopped doing that?
 
I had to write down and print some directions down for travel recently and of course I got slammed for not having or relying on gps or not a using a tiny screen on a smart phone for directions-why go through all that? Ummm, no batteries required. Also the kids wonder why I just don't send e cards for special occassions instead of buying and writing on a card. Oh the humanity.

Cursive writing isn't the only thing disappearing. Have you ever looked at how people print lately
 
My daughter has not had a child yet, but she has already told me that I will hopefully, teach her children how to write in cursive. Being a child of the 90's it was already starting to show decline. Both my adult children can write, but they admit not to the standards of our generation. It is an art form and should be continued as such I believe.
 
When my granddaughter was little she came to me one day and said, "Meemaw, can you teach me curtsey?"

"Why, sure," I replied and showed her how to curtsey.

"NO! CURTSEY!!! I WANT TO DO CURTSEY!"

"Honey, that is how you curtsey."

"No! I mean just like letters but kinda curvy! You know, curtsey?"

Ohhhh, cursive.

Don't you love kids?
 
Falcon said:
It's essential in signing your own name. Do you still write checks and/or sign receipts ?
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I'm not sure if you're talking to me Falcon, but assuming you are, yes I do sign my own name and write the occasional check but I have to really focus and think about what I'm doing to control the shake. I've had a couple times though where my signature is threatening to look like my husbands and his has always looked like he holds the pen between his toes or maybe between his teeth :D
 
jujube said:
When my granddaughter was little she came to me one day and said, "Meemaw, can you teach me curtsey?"

"Why, sure," I replied and showed her how to curtsey.

"NO! CURTSEY!!! I WANT TO DO CURTSEY!"

"Honey, that is how you curtsey."

"No! I mean just like letters but kinda curvy! You know, curtsey?"

Ohhhh, cursive.

Don't you love kids?
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:) sweet
 
BlunderWoman said:
:) sweet
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I agree:D
You know I was an English major...but I had learning disabilities as a kid...learning cursive was a special challenge. That being said I still think it should be taught. Better still, requiring certain assignments to be handwritten in cursive. Does anyone remember shorthand? My Mom taught it so I picked up a bit. In college one of my jobs was note-taking for other students. Using a mix of cursive and shorthand I could write as fast as the professors spoke.
 
fureverywhere said:
I agree:D
You know I was an English major...but I had learning disabilities as a kid...learning cursive was a special challenge. That being said I still think it should be taught. Better still, requiring certain assignments to be handwritten in cursive. Does anyone remember shorthand? My Mom taught it so I picked up a bit. In college one of my jobs was note-taking for other students. Using a mix of cursive and shorthand I could write as fast as the professors spoke.
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I'll bet that short hand did come in real handy! I wonder if they still use that?
 
Shalimar said:
I think there are many left handed people who may be pleased to see cursive writing as optional. Difficult to write toward yourself.
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I think so too.

Yet I also remember how proud kids were to start "cursive" writing. Third grade, eight years old. When I was a kid it was called "real" writing ("writing" as opposed to/better than printing, which presumably was all "little kids" could do).

I think it's a bad idea for schools to stop teaching "real writing," whatever they want to call it nowadays. But, since from what I can tell, they don't teach grammar anymore either, or composition, I guess I can't expect them to teach writing.
 
So when did they start calling it "cursive" and stop calling it "script"?

We never heard the word "cursive" in school - never. This was the '60's. It was always "script".
 
Phil, I think script is used for longhand writing in general, while cursive refers to the Palmer Cursive method. At least that was how the terms were used 100 years ago, when I was in primary school. :D
 
The idea of eliminating cursive from grade school curriculum is to leave more time for subjects that are globally important - math, science, technology, and cultural studies - but have schools caught up to that idea yet?

I understand calligraphy is an elective college course.
 
A few years ago, I sent one of my grandsons a birthday card and had written a message on it. He had to ask his Mom what it said because he couldn't read cursive. He was about 10, 11 or 12 then. That's when I learned they had stopped teaching it in schools. I think they should teach it today.
 
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