Should Cursive Be Saved?
February 4, 2010 by Kathy McManus
Consider the case of cursive — the looping letters of flowing script also known as handwriting — disappearing from schools, lost from love letters, and now relegated most often simply to signatures.
Thanks to computers, email, texting, and tweeting, the writing’s been on the wall for cursive for years. According to Kentucky’s Lexington Herald Leader, a local high school teacher who recently tried to reinvigorate it by awarding fountain pens to students said, “Some of them didn’t know what a fountain pen was.”
Supporters of cursive say there is a societal responsibility to keep it alive, and that much more than penmanship is at stake. It’s “a gift” said one university professor, a lifelong skill, the demise of which creates cultural deficits, like an inability to read historical documents. Without learning handwriting — with its slower, contemplative pace — children’s brains will “develop in a different way that no one has really thought through,” said a neuroplasticity expert.
But others say there is zero need to save a communication form which fails to prepare students for a practical future. “Do people need to be able to write? Of course,” said one online commenter, who continued, “Is cursive the best method? Probably not, given how few people use it on a daily basis.” “Teach your kid to type accurately and quickly,” one insisted, while another suggested, “Kids should be taught how to print, because it’s all they’ll ever need if they find themselves without a cell phone to text on, or a keyboard to type with.” And then there was this: “I think HELP is easier to read from the air in big printed block letters!”
Tell us what you think: Does we have a responsibility to save cursive? If so, why?
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209 Comments
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February 5, 2010 by Stephanie Kaye Ludena
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February 5, 2010 by Nicole
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April 27, 2010 by collin
i think this website is great.
May 3, 2010 by HOPE GEAR
THIS WEBSITE IS GREAT FOR PEOPLE WHO WONT TO KNOW CURSIVE WRITING
May 4, 2010 by exzilda
Good manners is NOT pointing out harmless mistakes in others. Let's concentrate on the subject discussed and let the spelling slide.
May 12, 2010 by safe
I think cursive is great but sometimes hard to learn for other people to learn in the world.
July 6, 2010 by Tom
Correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation...something most text messages never have.
July 8, 2010 by jim
I believe that cursive is vital skill for children to learn!!! Say all you want about there not being a need for it, and continue to come with reasons and justifications for it to be unnecessary and obsolete, but all those reasons do is justify LAZINESS!! Learing cursive helps children develope fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and lastly, something that children really need to develope in their early development, which is how to concentrate. With more children diagnosed with ADHD now then ever before, there is probably a correlation with "txtn' ", tweeting, and any other quick form of communication tied in with short attention span and lack of concentation. I think that learning cursive and neat hand writing skills would help kids learn how to concentrate on one thing for longer than fifteen or twenty seconds than showing them how to push buttons would.
July 29, 2010 by candice
i'm learning lol!
April 1, 2010 by Vera Fay Keller
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April 26, 2010 by kasy burkhart
i think cursive is so dumb
April 27, 2010 by azra rios
cursive is important.
May 4, 2010 by Gary
It is my opinion that the real skill we need to understand is using the English language correctly. I am not a strong supporter of cursive writing; but I do when to use a semi-colon. It is becoming a fine art for people who do take the time to write for these individuals you use the correct tense, when to use a singular or plural verb, and to be able to recognize a run-on sentence.
The unfortunate aspect of our lives is that we have learned to communicate regardless of spelling, grammar, or style.
May 26, 2010 by Lizzy Beth
I agree with it being art. In a way its so much more expressive and very ncie to just look at. It flows. And when greatly practiced its so so graceful. It doesn't even have to fit the person.... I mean really, it can look graceful and the person can trip so oftenover thier own feet.
July 7, 2010 by Tammy Moncrief
Cursive has always been apart of education, for some people it may be difficult for me it wasn't difficult to learn. I learn cursive at an early age; once I learn my abc at an early age in New York City, cursive came next. I enjoy writing therefore any handwriting came natural for me its a skill that you develope with practice. In my opinion we all need to keep our skills of cursive in the education system because that is our signature and that signature identifies us as individuals. Americans relie to much on technology, therefore because we relie totally on technology we as american are not using nor exercising our brain.
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August 18, 2010 by Maria
I am a teacher, and have noticed over recent years - with the constant use of text messages, and computer keyboards - many high school students are showing signs of poor manual dexterity. Index finger to thumb pinching is obviously difficult for some students. The act of picking up a small pill from a table takes more concentration for those who have gone through their formative years typing, rather than learning cursive, or even printing. It's a legitimate concern. Not only is cursive going the way of the dinosaur, so are other hand/finger skills such as sewing by hand since this skill is not a part of todays school curriculum. Playing the piano, or another instrument is an acceptable alternative to build manual dexterity, but nothing can compare with the daily use of cursive, or occasional use of sewing using needle and thread to develop fine motor skills. Think of surgeons...do we want todays kids without fine motor skills performing microsurgery?
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August 21, 2010 by Kathy
I agree with everything you said. I am teaching my 7 yr old granddaughter to write in cursive!
August 19, 2010 by Star2955
Any child born in 1992 or after have not been taught how to write is cursive (script). It makes me very sad! It is true that technology dominates our world, but not knowing how to "WRITE" ie: possibly not being able to draw in a manual, up close & personal way, hinders our future creativity, for all future generations! I understand the ability of using "PAINT" & all of the other "APPS" for creative expression, but one of the best things a person can do, is show what they have inside themselves, by putting hand to paper! Whatever the selective media, writing, drawing, or just scribbling... The sense of connection needs to still exist! Bottom line, self - expression is the key to a healthy life! The younger generation must realize that there is the posibility... TECHNOLOGY may abruptly STOP! Then where would they be? Would they even be able to "WRITE" their name? Also, GRAMMAR has become an issue. For example: Do they even know the difference between there, their, & they're?
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August 22, 2010 by Nadja
A point everyone seems to have missed is that cursive is invaluable for note taking in the classroom and in daily life. It is much easier to bring a paper and pen into a laboratory and make records of an experiment than to lug around a handheld device and text into it.
It is also handy for jaunting down those quick notes when one runs to the store, answers the phone, etc.
And it is much much faster to write than individual character writing AKA "printing."
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August 31, 2010 by Barbara F. Bundy
How do they sign anything? Do they just print their signature? What else are they NOT teaching in school? My 18 year old grandson doesn't know how to write his name in cursive.
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February 5, 2010 by Vix
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May 11, 2010 by Jermaine C. Lucas
Cursive writing is quite important for it has many important practical usages. If properly learned in can significantly increase a childs cognitive ability which will enable him or her to be a better thinker as well as a better student. The practical skill of learning cursive writing should absolutely never, ever, never, ever ,ever, never ever be neglected!!!!!!!
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June 28, 2010 by Earlene Horn
I agree with the fact that teaching cursive writing helps teach thinking and cognitive skills. We need cursive for the same reason we need art and music, not just because it is entertaining, but because it has the intrisic value of being part of a civilization. What you say and how you say it matters, and so does the art of cursive writing. One can also write faster in cursive than in printed letters. If you take notes, you find this out.
June 1, 2010 by Kathy
It would be so sad to find a letter that had been hidden away in your family's attic for years, and yet be unable to read it. Just imagine, we would have to create a whole new job field called "Cursive Interpreter." It may be a dying form of handwriting, but you better bet my children are learning to read and write it. I want them to be able to read the special notes that I write to them. Why must the new technology bring about the demise of our history and tradition? Best to all of you. Those that scoff at cursive may not be thinking of all the potential loss by allowing it to "die out".
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June 26, 2010 by Charles Wilson
The art of cursive writing is yet essential. Especially, as I noticed misquotations, punctuation and words used far out of their proper vernacular. There was observation as I read from Gary's comment before and beyond. By the way, misspelling is so annoying. Hence, as we use cursive we tend to show more respect for clarity and proper communication. Yes to cursive writing!
June 25, 2010 by Renán Pérez terán
I think that any time you use cursive in your writing, you are linking your thoughts; printed writing looks so isolated, letters are seen so individual, that to me words are locks of letters coldly existing. Cursive, and I think that's their worth, joins thoughts, ideas, feelings. Humans are not only technological or scientific, more than that they're living things. Cursive handwriting demands a longer contact with pens, that is why I believe communication in cursive is more soccial. Let's savecursive writing, schools should return to it before its too late. Greetings.
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June 26, 2010 by Charles
Interesting point.
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February 6, 2010 by Jason Lee
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February 6, 2010 by Yolanda Michelle Balka
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May 18, 2010 by deondre
but do you think it hurt's your hand
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February 6, 2010 by Patricia
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March 2, 2010 by courtneyhendel
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July 5, 2010 by precious
amen sister we shod be able to
March 2, 2010 by Courtneyhendel
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August 26, 2010 by Matt
When you boil it down to this point, the subject is no longer worth arguing. Cursive is not more important that science or math. It just isn't. You said:
"Studies show that children who write well and correctly score higher on tests because their cognitive abilities are increased as a result of the penmanship exercises."
You conclude that kids should study cursive. But if you had spent more time on math and science, you might remember that correlation does not imply causation. A better conclusion would be that kids that spend a lot of time learning one thing (cursive) will probably spend a lot of time learing other things (useful things). In other words, kids that are better writers are probably also more dilligent students.
Cursive is fine as a relic of the past, like olde English or the typewriter. If a few people want to dust it off every once and a while, they should have that right. But it should not be a mandatory subject in public schools.
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February 6, 2010 by Lynn Hyde
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February 15, 2010 by Barbara Craig
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April 19, 2010 by Mister Reader
Because languages are living devices, and change as time passes, there is not necessarily "incorrect grammar" but, rather, "non-standard usage." Various phrases, expressions, and spellings become accepted the more they become infused with society. Some of the United States' founding documents utilize the German double-s. While that letter has never been incorporated into standard English, no one will declare that words utilizing it are misspelled and, therefore, invalidate the documents.
May 2, 2010 by serenna
socoll
August 19, 2010 by Marianne
I am also disappointed at the flagrant misuse of words such as "your" for "you're" in newsprint as well as on the internet. Terms such as , "Please send the information to Mary and I" instead of "Mary and me". I believe if it is not corrected soon, standard English Language will be totally erased.
March 3, 2010 by Doris Winter
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March 22, 2010 by Karen Barfuss
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May 4, 2010 by William Miles
Making the leap from printing to cursive writing is a normal aspect of learning. As you learn to spell correctly and use tenses, you also learn to write. I also think that there is a special link betwen the arm and the brain, that when you write out the words in a flowing motion, you are using your brain differently and more creatively, then merely typing the words. Yes, typing skills are important today, as they were when I was in high school many years ago. We were mandated to take a class in typing on the old Underwood manual typewriter. That is another story, how many kids really know what a typewriter is, before spellcheck. Spellcheck was the Webster's dictionary that was a necessity for every person bound for college in those years, (early 70's let's not get carried away). In any case, I believe learning cursive writing is the natural building block in the educational cycle.
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June 9, 2010 by stephanie
i like to write in cursive
May 4, 2010 by exzilda
A 75 year old TYPED love letter just will not have the same sentiment as a handwritten one. Let's leave something beautiful for our grandchildren. And a text of tweet will be lost forever.
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February 7, 2010 by tessa mia martin
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February 7, 2010 by Cassarah Chajkowski
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March 1, 2010 by Alison Thomas
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April 22, 2010 by J Voorhis
Get down off your pedestal, kid.
June 24, 2010 by Laura
I love that you actually have thoughts to express about the topic rather than just throwing out judgements against the people who know how to think.
July 14, 2010 by Kyle
I am a bit surprised that all of the arguments seem to be so one sided here. These sound a lot like the arguments for keeping LPs around because "there's just something about them." Technology has always made older general technologies obsolete, and yet those older technologies have survived in particular niches. Fencing is a fine art that I'm sure had particular developmental advantages to the young boys who learned it, but sword fighting became obsolete and we no longer teach it as a general matter. I'm sure that the old swordsmen had the same sort of nostalgic response at the advent of gun warfare.
However, we must remember that every hour we spend teaching children the relatively obsolete skills of the past is an hour we're losing in teaching them the skills of the future. Children can write more legibly and more quickly with a keyboard. Typing also teaches fine motor skills. And as for a love of literature, when was the last time a self respecting author wrote a book in cursive? Every great piece of literature of the last century has been written and read in print, and they're no less beautiful or artful because of it. In fact, "print" itself came about with movable type which allowed books to be reproduced without having to be hand copied in cursive. The technology of print allowed literature to become accessible to the masses and not just the rich elite who could afford cursive books.
So for all of you suggesting that cursive creates a love of literature, I suggest that cursive PREVENTED widespread love of literature for centuries, and it was only after that wonderful technology of print was invented that school children of all socioeconomic classes could afford to hold a book, learn to read, and acquire a love of literature and language that comes with being literate. It's ok to be nostalgic for the past but not at the expense of our children's future.
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February 8, 2010 by Hannah Nicole Stevenson
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February 14, 2010 by ivyhart
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May 17, 2010 by Arianna carey
cursive change my life man
February 8, 2010 by DB Carpenter
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February 8, 2010 by jordan
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February 9, 2010 by Avery Craig
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