Community Chat

[Sooner]

So these uneducated children couldn't read a letter from 1940.  Might as well be in hieroglyphics to them.  Can't read the Declaration of Independence either, or a handwritten will from the 1960's.

So I guess no, it wouldn't be useful at all to them.  Why should they be concerned with anything that old? Sorry, but it irritates me that education keeps crying about not enough money and this is what we are getting.  You don't need a lot of money to teach kids to read and write.

And with the school lists with boxes of colored markers and art stuff, don't tell me they couldn't teach writing. 

[mom2four0418]

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@kittyloo wrote:

so my step-daughter was over last weekend.  both her and her brother are very intelligent.  ages 15 and almost 18.  so when she mentioned that neither one of them can write cursive, and older brother can't read it at all, i was floored.  I mean really floored. what????  I realize that it;s mostly not taught in schools anymore, but i had a really hard time wrapping my head around this.  Is this unnecessary anymore? you don't have to sign your name? print it, or make a X? is this really the norm?  Granted they go to a very  "liberal,school" in a college town. (not sure if this makes a difference or not) maybe i'm just out of touch. not sure. they have 3 bathrooms, if that tell's you anything.   just minor venting. 

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Public school teachers now spend their days teaching to the standardized tests.  This is one of the reasons why there is no time to teach cursive writing. Why not teach your kids how to write in cursive if you are concerned?

[Still Raining]

Ever so often we have such a thread.  You all need to move with the times.  Why would a school waste time with such a useless skill?

I never learned cursive and I have signed documents all my life.  I have not written any checks the last few years, but they were OK too when they were still paper.

It is not a bad thing.

[Citrine1]

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@Still Raining wrote:

Ever so often we have such a thread.  You all need to move with the times.  Why would a school waste time with such a useless skill?

I never learned cursive and I have signed documents all my life.  I have not written any checks the last few years, but they were OK too when they were still paper.

It is not a bad thing.

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You're kidding, right?

[homedecor1]

@kittyloo

your post came at a very "appropriate" time ... visiting with my niece who is graduating with her doctorate next month and is in residency -- was shocked when she stated "my mom sent me a beautiful letter & I couldn't read it" WHAT????  I said your a doctor and #1 in your class -- what do you mean you can't "read" it...

She said " I had to call my mom it was in cursive!"

Oh my, I just can't grasp she can't read it & never learned cursive except to sign their names!!!  

The catholic nuns & my dad who taught me are probably turning over in their graves🙄.

My GD is in first grade & she tells me in 5th grade they'll learn cursive -- maybe🤔.  

I write everything in cursive just so weird ...

[mom2four0418]

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@sidsmom wrote:

It’s just a different time. New ‘basics’.

I’m sure there will be a renaissance in our school systems

but I don’t equate literate or illiterate with knowing cursive. 

Computers are a big part of a child’s life. 

In reverse, little kids could point at me saying,

’‘You didn’t learn how to type until you were 16???”

They're basically in diapers & know how to operate

QWERTY keyboard. 

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THIS

[jeanlake]

My dad had beautiful handwriting. He never learned to type, didn't want to know, but let us kids know our handwriting was a reflection of who we were. He bought me a calligraphy set when I was ten. He placed a lot of emphasis on handwriting, which isn't as relevant today. However, everyone should know how to read cursive. So many historical documents are written in cursive.

I taught typing for three years as a business education teacher until I moved on to the counseling office. I could see the handwriting on the wall regarding business education classes.

I learned shorthand and still take personal notes at work with it. This is absolutely passe but its fun.    

[GingerPeach]

How interesting that so many seem to bring up the fact that it is OK because it doesn't "bother" them and that it's OK because it's a "sign of the times."

How is forgetting a useful skill good?

Too many forget the very important connection between hand and memory.  Memory doesn't connect nearly as well with tapping on key pads as it does with writing in cursive. 

[sidsmom]

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@GingerPeach wrote:

How interesting that so many seem to bring up the fact that it is OK because it doesn't "bother" them and that it's OK because it's a "sign of the times."

How is forgetting a useful skill good?

Too many forget the very important connection between hand and memory.  Memory doesn't connect nearly as well with tapping on key pads as it does with writing in cursive. 

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Ok. Let’s discuss.

How is cursive a useful skill?

Is there proof that non-cursive people have less memory?

[wildcat fan]

I teach middle school.  Within the first week of school last August, I learned that more than 80% of my students scored BELOW grade level on last spring's state reading assessment.  Throughout the year I make sure all 108 get plenty of practice writing their names in cursive, but my focus is on reading.  My writing focus is for them to use evidence/specific details to support their answers.  Our recent mid-year reading assessments indicate about 65% are now on grade level.  Still a long way to go, but we've made great strides.  Our last few weeks of school will be spent practicing cursive (after we've completed state testing).  We will get there, but with high stakes testing, cursive is not my priority.  

By the way, I work with a couple of 20-something teachers who get really flustered when parents send letters to them that were written in cursive.  They bring the letters to me to decipher for them.  😊