topic Re: Cursive (again, I know!) in Community Chat

Cursive (again, I know!)

Krimpette — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:36:19 GMT

I'm a senior citizen. Last week, at my local senior center, some of us had the opportunity to take some basic technology classes. The instructors were from one of our local high schools. Part of the goal was bridging the gap between the young and the old. The classes worked out very, very well, and everyone seemed to enjoy them.

I took a class in facebook and was, as always, astounded by how much these kids know, technology-wise. Almost intimading, at least to me! But at the end of one of the sessions, my young instructor took my sheet with my questions that I had to be sure that she covered everything. She looked at me and smiled and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I can't read cursive."

I hope TPTB have thought this through about no longer teaching cursive. I asked what she did if she received mail that was in cursive. She said she has her mom read it to her.

I found it kind of sad. I really hate to see cursive being swept aside by so many educators these days.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

bri20 — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:38:55 GMT

I can't imagine not being able to read cursive.

I think there are a lot of kids who don't know how to read an analog clock also.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

NickNack — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:40:32 GMT

I agree. I think it's unbelievable that they aren't teaching cursive anymore. So many things are written in cursive. It shouldn't be like a foreign language. I didn't believe it when I first heard they were no longer going to teach it. Now it seems to just be a fact.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

Witchy Woman — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:43:30 GMT

This stuns me.

Is it truly that difficult to read cursive if you didn't learn to write that way. Couldn't you just kind of look at the letters and know what they were?

Maybe someone who teaches can explain.

Personally, I love cursive. And, I learned Diamond Jubilee shorthand which I adored, and was good at.

Guess I'm ancient

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

YorkieonmyPillow — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:46:05 GMT

I read that people who are dyslexic can read cursive much easier than print. People need to know how to read cursive and they need to know how to tell time.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

Krimpette — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:50:43 GMT

There was another student sitting with my instructor. He was able to pick out a word or two. They were 10th graders, so I was kind of surprised.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

IamMrsG — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:55:11 GMT

@Krimpette wrote:
There was another student sitting with my instructor. He was able to pick out a word or two. They were 10th graders, so I was kind of surprised.

I'm equally surprised as I would never have guessed they stopped teaching it that long ago. Personally, I think it's a BIG mistake.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

Q4u — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:55:27 GMT

Any time something like this is "lost".... it dumbs down the populace. My oldest son is learning ancient languages like old English, Celtic, even Latin. What will he use it for? He is rounding out his depth of understanding regarding languages and cultures. He probably won't actually USE them per se, but he'll be able to discuss them and read old books.... actually learning.....

I find it reprehensible to lose (and not teach) these most basic functions.....

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

beckyb1012 — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:56:01 GMT

It is sad to see something disappear like cursive handwriting. I am fearful that typing will be the only form taught or expected of our future generations. As long as they can type no one will expect them to even print.

How sad, but it is to be expected when so many young people would only look at a rotary phone and wonder how it works.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

StillFuntoShop — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:57:58 GMT

Public schools are enslaved to state testing.

If it isn't on the state test, chances are it isn't covered.

There is simply no time.

Multiplication facts are not taught in our public school. They are supposed to "reason out" how to get the answer.

My son was taught cursive very briefly in first grade.

When I was in school, we had a workbook that we used throughout the year.

School is not what it used to be for many of us. I cover the missing content at home. I taught special education in a public school for almost 20 years. It was astonishing to me how things changed over the years.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

RainyDayGal — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:58:33 GMT

My question is, if they aren't teaching it how will people sign their names? Legal documents need signatures. And in some crime instances they uses hand writing analysis, so now will we have hand printing analysis? And it has been brought up before that who will be able to read the historical documents? I really just don't even understand the reasoning on this. Learning it was so much fun I thought.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

IamMrsG — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:00:10 GMT

@beckyb1012 wrote:
It is sad to see something disappear like cursive handwriting. I am fearful that typing will be the only form taught or expected of our future generations. As long as they can type no one will expect them to even print.
How sad, but it is to be expected when so many young people would only look at a rotary phone and wonder how it works.

You brought back a memory of a staff meeting I attended many years ago (over a decade, actually). The Youth Group leader reported on a Mission Trip they had just taken. One of the Youth wanted to phone his parents, but needed instruction when he was faced with a rotary phone. We staff members sat in stunned silence a few seconds at the thought of someone not knowing how to 'dial.'

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

Plaid Pants2 — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:00:47 GMT

Cursive is going the way of the slide rule and abacus.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

Q4u — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:01:50 GMT

Hypothetical situation:

A young woman was abducted off the streets and held in a house. Chained to a wall she had no computer, no cell phone, no way to communicate with anyone when her abductor left. She DID have a small tablet of paper and a crayon and she could just barely reach the window, which was left often 1/4". Because she couldn't print or write cursive she didn't think she of writing "HELP" on one of the pages and slip it through the slot in the window and have the wind carry her message away.....

Farfetched? Maybe... but....

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

millieshops — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:17:19 GMT

I would wish the kids were taught at least to read cursive - but truly the hours and hours we spent practicing to have beautiful handwriting? They need those hours to learn modern science, technology, etc. I had not 10 minutes of science education until I was in 7th grade -- and then only because my homeroom teacher used to take 10 minutes in the morning to show us a few things.

I hardly ever write in cursive except to sign a few checks, but even most of my money transfers go with modern technolgy.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

Brigitta — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:28:12 GMT

I am a retired second grade teacher. I started teaching cursive right after Thanksgiving vacation every year. The children loved it! By the time the end of the year rolled around they ALL were able to write completely in cursive. As I taught each letter, they were to use that letter in cursive every time they came to it. Teaching connecting cursive letters was also not difficult.

One of the main reasons that I retired at age 55 with 30 yrs. experience was that the "powers that be" decided that cursive was no longer needed and it was being phased out. How sad! My 19 yr. old grandson (a product of the same school system) can barely write or read cursive. I tried to teach him, but his teachers wanted printing instead and he hardly used it. So it "fell by the wayside".

The public has no idea what teachers are expected to teach. Testing is out of hand and many basics are skiopped over due to "lack of time".

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

granddi — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:30:38 GMT

@YorkieonmyPillow wrote:
I read that people who are dyslexic can read cursive much easier than print. People need to know how to read cursive and they need to know how to tell time.

Students must be able to gain meaning from symbols such as maps, graphs and charts. If will be more difficult to learn these skills if the student does learn math before being allowed to use a calculator and must learn to use an analog clock before usign a digital watch.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

excpa — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:44:31 GMT

At least they recognize what it is! It's a start. I've always loved calligraphy. Soon cursive will be an art form and deeply cherished by some. But what would we do without typos?

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

Peaches McPhee — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:44:15 GMT

As with most things, I have mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, people used to write in "cooperplate" (I think that is the term). Very fancy elaborate writing. There was probably a time when that transitioned out of fashion and younger people could not read it. None the less it eventually died off, and we all survived. Same thing now with cursive.

On the other hand, I am old and I write cursive in notes all the time, including at work. I occurs to me that someday one of our younger staff members will come to me and say they cannot read my note and that annoys me.

But, I am leaning toward supporting the transition away from cursive. If society so deems it, I guess it is for a reason.

Re: Cursive (again, I know!)

on the bay — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:47:14 GMT

I think that is kind of an ignorant statement-that she coldn't "read" cursive! Its just as easy as reading print if she wanted to try, instead of automatically dismissing it.