Cursive Writing

In the school where my church holds its services, they not only teach cursive handwriting, they even have fonts available on their computers so that teachers and asistants can prepare displays using the same sort of script that the children are being taught.

 

The public schools in our area have dropped cursive for the most part. When I began to homeschool my youngest her handwriting was AWFUL. And that was the printing! She couldn't read anything written in cursive either.

So, I ordered a cirriculum called "handwriting without tears" and a few months later her handwriting had gone from barely legible to quite nice. It's not in her genes to have really pretty handwriting (one look at her father and my writing will tell you that lol) but she now writes very neatly if not decoratively.

 

As a homeschool mom, I'm making sure my kids know how to write neatly in cursive. A hundred years ago, teachers had time to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, history, geography, etc. The problem now is that teachers are expected to teach kids things the parents should be teaching them at home--like health, sex ed, how to save money and how to apply for a job. Teachers are expected to parent the kids and deal with all sorts of behavioral issues and that takes up class time.

 

Cursive writing isn't practical anymore. I say devote time to other matters.

(I'm not a teacher at present, but I'm in the process of completing a non-traditional program. I am currently on a university staff.)

 

Anyone of you ever try to read old census forms? The advantage of printing is that it can be deciphered even if poorly done. Mine, for example.

 

Yet another reason we homeschool.

Now, that having been said, I have a nerve issue with my right hand that makes it very difficult to hold a pen and write neatly (strangely, I play guitar and mandolin just fine, both of which require much more dexterity. Go figure.) so I usually use a wierd combination of cursive and printing.

 

I agree with StefanM, cursive has no practical value. No need to waste time teaching it to kids.

 

When is it ever required? I probably haven't written more than 5 paragraphs in cursive in the past few years, and these were only because a form required it for some reason.

Almost all written communication is done with typewritten letters. It is clearer, and handwriting does not become an issue.

Students should learn how to print and type.

 

Even though I'm in the if it's legible camp, there are still some teachers out there that require cursive.

IMHO however it has benefit by continuing to develop fine motor skills past those of printing. If we lived in a society where everyone was played with and got to color, draw, cut etc at home, we might be able to skip it.

 

The only implementation of cursive that applies today is a person's signature.

Outside of that--it's a waste of time, IMO.

(now...teaching handwriting? Very worthwhile! Just not cursive.)

 

I have to do a lot of handwriting in school, but it has been so long since I have done cursive that I have a hard time doing it with any speed. I usually end up printing everything, but I am trying to get myself in a habit of using cursive because it is so much faster if one doesn’t have to stop to figure out how to make some of the letters. My cursive is actually very neat looking but way to slow at the present.

 

you know..I've never really liked my cursive writing..actually I like my cursive writing when I write in pencil ..but then again I don't like writing in pencil much..so I usually just print hehe..

I think people should know how to write in cursive...its very pretty sometimes

 

see!! Pretty! (being silly)

 

It is important for students to be able to write legibly, but

And it's not because of sex ed or health. Penmanship used to be taught at elementary, which, at least in every school I've been a part of, and there is no sex ed or (which actually are of educational value, if done properly and age-appropriately). It's because of the current national (and state) standards.

Part of the problem still in public school is that they teach old skills which have little value. Make sure kids can write clearly, but cursive writing isn't worth the time.

 

So what happens if they no longer have a texting device?

 

I forgot my signature was in cursive lol... every now and then I write cursive in my journal..