Community Chat

[MickD]

Oh boy.....I just had this conversation with my son's new boss.  My son has learning problems and never learned cursive.....actually the school never taught it.  He only knows how to sign his name.  I thought it odd, but with his learning problems ...had enough to deal with.  Anyway, his boss used to be a k-12 teacher and worked mostly with Montessori children. He was describing to me how it is so easy for a child to start cursive first than printing .....as young children scribble and draw circular designs.....and cursive is the natural beginning to writing as they would use a circular motion ...not lifting the pencil......and how printing is more difficult as the child has to lift the pencil off the paper.....duh!  Makes perfect sense!!!!

[Mominohio]

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@Still Raining wrote:

I never learned cursive and did just fine.  Not a useful skill.

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Any skill learned that develops eye hand coordination, that perfects fine motor skills, and that deals with language is definitely a useful skill.

Should classroom time be devoted to it these days, I'm on the fence about. I think a good teacher could work it in over the course of a year even if incorporated as art.

[Mominohio]

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@RedTop wrote:

My oldest daughter is a high school Special Education teacher.   She teaches all of her students to write in cursive, teaches all of her students to tell time with a real clock, and teaches all of her students to count money and make change.   

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@RedTop

That is definitely Special Education. Bless you daughter for what she does.

[Peoplearenuts]

I agree that cursive should be taught.  They can't always type and print out everything.  These kids are well versed in science and technology BUT they can't tell time on a real clock, they can't spell, they can't count back change and they can't do simple math in their heads!!  Grammar has also gone by the wayside.  Just look at comments:  two, too, to; their, there, they're, etc.  What's going on???

[Shorty2U]

Ive posted about cursive before. I think its ridiculous they dont teach it. I dont care if they use computers now and have no books, papers, or pencils. One must still sign important documents.

Please read on;

My youngest granddaughter (12) never had cursive. I taught her how to write her name last Summer. Otherwise she knows no cursive writing!

My middle granddaughter (16) only had cursive a few weeks in grade school. She was signing her name by printing and connecting the printing letters together. So I showed her how to do it too!

My oldest granddaughter (18, just graduated) had cursive and has beautful handwriting and uses cursive all the time to write because she loves to write and excels in art. Also she wrote all of her studies for tests on index cards all through out school to study (because she wanted to!). Graduated with high honors and has a photographic memory from writing to study!

Do I think cursive is important? YES. Why? Because as of now we must sign our license, and all important papers!.Plus it helps to write things down to study to memorize!

So until things change and we use our finger prints to sign things or some other way we need cursive writing to sign important documents!

Keep in mind, my 16 yr old granddaughter is about to drive? How can 16 yr olds sign their license if they dont know cursive?!

[ECBG]

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@Peoplearenuts wrote:

I agree that cursive should be taught.  They can't always type and print out everything.  These kids are well versed in science and technology BUT they can't tell time on a real clock, they can't spell, they can't count back change and they can't do simple math in their heads!!  Grammar has also gone by the wayside.  Just look at comments:  two, too, to; their, there, they're, etc.  What's going on???

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@Peoplearenuts --Totally agree.  My students always tried to argue when I corrected their papers for grammitical errors and my classwork.

They would say "I wasn't their English teacher".  My answer was "I'm YOUR teacher!".  That was only six years ago.

[Pook]

While at an attorney's recently, I was instructed to sign in cursive and not print my signature.  The same at the hospital where the form said write not print your signature!!  I overheard a conversation between a mother and daughter where the daughter told the mother about a store with an odd name and the mother asked her to write it down for her.  What should have taken a few seconds turned ridiculous as the daughter got her phone to text it but the phone needed charged so she then got out a charging device that needed charged also.  Mother asked her just to jot it down or spell it for her to jot down  and the daughter said too much bother and she would text it later.  

[Lila Belle]

The last time I was at the hospital for tests instead of signing forms my fingerprint was used instead.

[Starpolisher]

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@jaxs mom wrote:

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@Starpolisher wrote:

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@Mellie32 wrote:

Almost everything we read now is typed.  Almost everything the younger generation writes is typed.  It doesn't make sense for teachers to spend 30 minutes a day teaching cursive handwriting.  It DOES make sense for teachers to spend that time teaching keyboarding skills.  

Sincerely,

A teacher

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As a parent, grandparent and former teacher,  I disagree with not teaching cursive.(They should at least be able to write their signature) However, perhaps you are right because it seems this younger generation has no use for sending out hand written anything, especially Thank You notes!

Recipeholic - hope your grandson had a  very happy birthday!

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handwriting something doesn't require cursive. 

No it doesn't. However, here are just a few reasons why I want my Grandchildren to know it.

1. Cursive writing helps train the brain to   integrate visual, and tactile information, and fine motor dexterity.

2. Writing Long-form teaches us how to write - allowing us to write effortlessly.

3. Printing and typing do not stimulate the synchronicity between the brain's right and left hemisphere, but cursive does.

4. We learn better when we write it down -(again, effortlessly).

5. It looks nicer. Printing looks crude or rudimentary.

6. It appears that one has some formal education.

7. Handwriting leads to cognitive development, self-esteem, and academic success.

8. Handwriting uses more of your brain. The brain has to develop “functional specialization,” integrating thinking, movement, and sensation.

9. We can create something beautiful and unique with a personal style and ownership and having one's own unique handwriting style in cursive keeps others from copying one's signature.

10. It may help those with special needs.

11. It reduces distractions and inspires creativity.

12. It keeps our brains active in old age.

13. Kids can't read the Declaration of Independence - it's in cursive.  ( as well as, notes and letters from most of our family members)

14. Again - It LOOKS NICE!

[Starpolisher]

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@RedTop wrote:

My oldest daughter is a high school Special Education teacher.   She teaches all of her students to write in cursive, teaches all of her students to tell time with a real clock, and teaches all of her students to count money and make change.   

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Good for her!!! That's wonderful! These too are becoming lost skills.