Is Cursive Obsolete?
 

Not cursing . . .

Cursive Writing No Longer a Requirement, Optional

For many years, a controversy brewed in public and educational circles about the wisdom of teaching cursive writing in schools. On one side are those who want children to learn how to write in cursive. They consider, with justification, that writing skills are part of our being educated and informed citizens.

On the other side are so-called experts who worship at the altar of technology and would ditch pen and paper in favor of a keyboard and computer screen. There appears to be a widening gap between the two.

While I haven't written in cursive since gradeschool (and have trouble reading it sometimes) I see dropping penmanship requirements as a very bad idea. Not every communication happens on the computer, you still need to be able to write notes and diagrams, and there will always be a small memo handed to a coworker.

I could understand forgoing cursive specifically, but not writing sills all together.

-J

I will say that cursive writing has the disadvantage of being misread while print does not lend itself to misreading as much. I'm sure we had this debate when the quill was replaced eventually.

Good one :D

In the classroom, I never cared whether kids wrote in cursive or printed. My concern was that their writing be legible. In the lower grades, I think teaching cursive helps with hand-eye coordination skills, it's a step beyond and more challenging in that regard than printing. All of my primary teachers taught, and still do teach cursive. From about 4th grade on, who cares?
Grammar and usage are much more important.

There is the argument that cursive is required primarily for the execution of signatures. I try to remember this every time I have to use a blunt stylus on a worn PIN pad at Home Depot. :D

"Mavis Beacon" and her teachings are introduced in the First Grade is many public and private schools, but now called "keyboard skills" since typing is done on non-existant hardware.

They do. Barring physical limitations, the kids at my school were required to type 25 wpm with 80% accuracy using standard keyboarding methods (no hunt and peck, no 2 finger typing) in order to pass 6th grade. The new head teacher there thinks that was a silly requirement, and while they still stress keyboarding skills in the computer lab, there is no longer any goal to reach. Wouldn't want anyone to feel bad about themselves. :mad:

Neither my stepson whose 13 nor his sister, 9 can write in cursive. I think it's unfortunate to say the least. If he writes antying it's printed. Not everything in life will be done on a keyboard and the inability to write decently is a irritation to put it mildly. The idea of needting to have "keyboard skills" in grade school is stupid. It is not just unnecessary but putting the cart before the horse in my opinion. But then of course the "experts" would dissagree.

- Peter.

Don't most written signatures evolve from cursive writing?

Will future generations "print" their signatures?

Signatures have lost their relevance. John Hancock would be derided for being a bit showy in the modern world.

IIRC, there only a few forms at Microsoft that require a piece of paper.

I think that I was told the forms that require a human signature are govt forms. DOJ being one of them. What a surprise. So yes, I think writing is going to become little more than a novelty. Much like a girl that can take a cherry and tie the stem with her tongue.

I take all my meeting notes in cursive with a pen. IMO it's very distracting to a client for me to be typing as they talk whereas the pen has a more personal and less intrusive effect. Of course for someone in another profession the keyboard is undoubtedly easier. However, I'm a grammar and spelling stickler and I think that technology has really lowered the bar in these areas. What once were typos to be corrected have now become acceptable and even expected.

Its like a few hundred years ago when most people didn't really get past the 5th grade...just sign with an X.:D

Having learned the Palmer method back in my Catholic grade school, I find that I rarely need to write anything except my name. Note to the wife? Text it. Letter to my son overseas? Same deal. Even my doctor prints prescriptions on a computer and just signs them.