Community Chat

[RainCityWoman]

Sorry, but I am a big advocate of teaching cursive, even though most think it's archaic. To me, one's handwriting is the mark of personal identity, unique to every individual, containing elements of our personality.  Why would you want to forefit that special facet of yourself? There is nothing wrong with being able to communicate in a variety of ways in writing. Our ancestors, our historical documents, census, etc. are in cursive. I cherish the signatures I have of my ancestors. I also believe that teaching cursive is yet another area of development in our fine motor skills. 

[Mellie32]

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@RainCityWoman wrote:

Sorry, but I am a big advocate of teaching cursive, even though most think it's archaic. To me, one's handwriting is the mark of personal identity, unique to every individual, containing elements of our personality.  Why would you want to forefit that special facet of yourself? There is nothing wrong with being able to communicate in a variety of ways in writing. Our ancestors, our historical documents, census, etc. are in cursive. I cherish the signatures I have of my ancestors. I also believe that teaching cursive is yet another area of development in our fine motor skills. 

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Handwriting is a unique feature to every person.  Two people do not print the same way either.  Some people print in all caps - most of my male professors did that.  Some people add a bit of flourish to their letters when they print.  Some people begin a letter at a certain spot that's different than the norm.  Some people right with a left slant, right slant or no slant at all.  Some people write with rather large print - some rather small.

ALL handwriting is unique -- not just one form of handwriting.

[QueenDanceALot]

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@PenneyT wrote:

Why is not learning cursive "dumbing down society", but not learning how to text, use a flash drive, facetime, etc., is just fine?   Seems like some weird 'what I know is smart, what I don't know is dumb', lol!

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Am I the only person who didn't need school to learn how to text?

Or to use a flash drive?

etc., etc.

Are these things really considered to be important skills to be taking up classroom time?

30 minutes for American History.

30 minutes for Math. (unless it's too frustrating.  Then they can just use their "device")

Rest of the day for texting and flash drive?

Isn't the main objective of Education to teach students how to think?

[QueenDanceALot]

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@PenneyT wrote:

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@jackiejenny wrote:

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@PenneyT wrote:

Why is not learning cursive "dumbing down society", but not learning how to text, use a flash drive, facetime, etc., is just fine?   Seems like some weird 'what I know is smart, what I don't know is dumb', lol!

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Uh, I know how to do all of the things you named AND I know how to write in cursive. So much for that logic. 

WHY is it okay for generations to NOT know how to read or write in cursive? 

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Not a question of logic, simply an observation.

A lot of skills are no longer taught in schools. So much testing these days, there often isn't time to teach cursive. Something new and needed will be taught instead. 

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And our educational system is in the toilet.

Yes, I know a number of teachers.  They think so, too.

[Puppy Lips]

My son is 18 and he has a hard time reading cursive!  The only exposure he gets is his Grandmother's handwriting, which is beautiful and quite clear.  I know he is not alone in struggling with this, even at his age.  I find it amusing, but it will be a lost art one day soon.

[Mellie32]

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

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And our educational system is in the toilet.

Yes, I know a number of teachers.  They think so, too.

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It is, but it has nothing to do with not teaching cursive handwriting.

[QueenDanceALot]

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@Mellie32 wrote:

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

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And our educational system is in the toilet.

Yes, I know a number of teachers.  They think so, too.

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It is, but it has nothing to do with not teaching cursive handwriting.

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I didn't say that it did.

I was responding to the idea that texting and flash drive were important subjects to be taught in school.

I wasn't even talking about cursive.

[Mellie32]

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

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I didn't say that it did.

I was responding to the idea that texting and flash drive were important subjects to be taught in school.

I wasn't even talking about cursive.

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I didn't read it as her thinking texting should be taught in schools.  Very young kids already know how to do it anyway.

[PenneyT]

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

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@Mellie32 wrote:

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

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And our educational system is in the toilet.

Yes, I know a number of teachers.  They think so, too.

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It is, but it has nothing to do with not teaching cursive handwriting.

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I didn't say that it did.

I was responding to the idea that texting and flash drive were important subjects to be taught in school.

I wasn't even talking about cursive.

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I didn't say those were important to teach in school. I was just pointing out that there are forms of communication that are used everyday by many more people than cursive handwriting. The people participating on this board probably type way more than they write in cursive. Children simply have more to learn, whether some want to admit that or not (for instance, in science and thechnology). There is only so much time in a classroom day. That's all. 

I wish kids could learn art and cursive and music everyday, but in most schools that just isn't going to happen. They also aren't learning how to sew, cook, use woodworking tools, etc., all things that I learned in school. Time moves on. 

[QueenDanceALot]

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@RainCityWoman wrote:

Sorry, but I am a big advocate of teaching cursive, even though most think it's archaic. To me, one's handwriting is the mark of personal identity, unique to every individual, containing elements of our personality.  Why would you want to forefit that special facet of yourself? There is nothing wrong with being able to communicate in a variety of ways in writing. Our ancestors, our historical documents, census, etc. are in cursive. I cherish the signatures I have of my ancestors. I also believe that teaching cursive is yet another area of development in our fine motor skills. 

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I think this is a very valid point of view.  And I tend to feel the same way.