Do you think Cursive Writing should be given more importance at schools?

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   ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years ago

   Do you think Cursive Writing should be given more importance at schools?

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   Ericdierkerposted 7 years ago

   I cannot do it, but I was taught it in school. My wife cannot print.
   It is taught in my young son's school.  But I know other schools here do not teach it.
   I understand that it does something in the brain that printing does not do. Something akin to doing art.
   Here is what I heard though "In a short time, writing in cursive will be a secret code for us old timers"

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      MizBejabbersposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I agree Eric. It is rapidly becoming a "secret code" and that could present a future problem for those who wish to brainwash. I'm kind of like your wife. Sounds funny, but I find printing painful to my shoulder because of an old injury.

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      Ericdierkerposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Because of a spat I had with one teacher I was sentenced to a typing and shorthand class -- real taboo for boys a half century ago. So I relied on my Underwood for real writing and shorthand to my girlfriends Definite secret code '-)

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      MizBejabbersposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Funny, Eric, I refused to take shorthand because of a spat I had with my typing teacher who taught shorthand also. I learned to take dictation on the typewriter, and I could get a commercial written faster than the gal who used shorthand.

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      Ericdierkerposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Great memories. In a rather large firm our pool voted me "dictator of the Year"

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Ericdierker for responding to the question! Interesting views and I agree with you. It does something in the brain that printing doesn't. Even now when I am writing greeting cards I always enjoy writing cursive. Thanks and good day to you!

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   AF Mindposted 7 years ago

   I do believe so as it can be very difficult to read if you don't know how to write it.

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks AF Mind for your answer!
      I agree with you that cursive writing must be taught at schools so that the children can read, write and understand this . Thanks and a good day to you.

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   WordCrafter09posted 7 years ago

   I think it should be taught (and/or continued to be taught) so that kids at least have a basic foundation in it.   From there people can eventually decide how much more they want to know/do with it.   My father (who would be over 100 if he were alive today) had a beautiful and artsy looking handwriting (and someone else I knew that was his age had the exact same kind).  It was very fancy and pretty looking, but - when all is said and done - really wasn't practical.  I don't think a whole lot of time should be spent teaching that degree of swirliness (etc.) today.
   
   Then, though, there are people who can/do spend some extra time making their handwriting prettier than the version that was taught in public schools when I was a kid.    That's nice if someone did that when they were young.  It wasn't something I ever did.  My best writing is a slightly fancied up version of the very basic one that was taught, but I'm "a left-handed person in a right-handed person's body", which means I need lines if I don't want even my prettiest writing to go downhill.  Pretty much the best I can come up with is an attractive-enough version of plain, old, writing (but with lines, and ideally, the right kind of pen AND the right texture of paper). 
   
   I just don't care that much to worry about it.  Oddly, maybe, if I write backwards it comes out far more attractive than if I write in the correct direction - but that's useless.  So, although I really hate my own handwritten messages in, say, greeting cards (and even hate my own signature in them a good part of the time) AND REALLY hate the appearance of handwritten envelopes (although I hate return address stamps) I do; I don't, and can't, worry about what my writing looks like.  I slop down any old thing, depending on use and who may/may not see something.  At best it's nice and clear and readable.  At worst, it looks like "psycho writing".   If I don't think someone else needs to read it I don't care if nobody else could.  (I remember what I wrote if I can read enough to get a rough idea of what it was).  (Of course, my many, speed-focused, non-cursive and borderline-cursive-sort-of "styles" of writing  are an equally freakish range from three-year-old to psycho to clear-and-attractive-enough-if necessary.)
   
   So I think teaching a basic version of cursive is enough.  The art inclined  can build on it if they can or want to.   I never cared enough to be bothered under my particular circumstances.

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      Ericdierkerposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Very interesting. My eldest sister writes calligraphy. Wow it is cool -- but alas I cannot read half of it. My wife loves my clear print block writing as she never doubts what it says. though she writes sometime strange cursive. I like this question

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks ME Whelan for your detailed response! I agree with your concluding lines and I appreciate your interesting views about cursive writing. Have a good day!

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   Aime Fposted 7 years ago

   I think it should be taught as a skill but I don't think a bunch of time needs to be spent on it.  I learned it in school and have never used it.  It's cool to know I guess, but I don't think it's of huge importance.

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      That's a very practical opinion and I agree with you! Good that we know how to write or read it. The younger generation wouldn't bother for it since their life is so much influenced by technology.
      Thanks Aime for answering the question!

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   Jodahposted 7 years ago

   Yes, I think it should. I was and still am praised for my handwriting and I do write things in calligraphy if I have the time and inclination. When I am writing rough notes or need to write quickly my writing is messy but other than that I enjoy writing neatly in cursive. I know it isn't as important now that everyone uses email and smart phones instead of writing letters, but I feel,it should still be taught in school. We used to call it "copybook writing" in school.

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Good to know John that you have a good handwriting. I always have to write slow if I want to write in good handwriting. You're right that now everyone is using technology for writing. Basic learning in cursive writing at schools will be good enough.

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   MizBejabbersposted 7 years ago

   I think it's very important because our original old documents (in the United States) were written in cursive. Our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, etc. That may not seem important to the younger generations because they can read the printed versions, but if Americans can no longer read these for themselves, who is to say that someone in power wouldn't change the print or electronic versions of them, and thus, change history to suit themselves.
   I know people who block print despite having learned cursive, and if that's their bag, I'm not one to criticize their preference, but at least they know how to read and write it. I was taught not only cursive in school, but penmanship by my father who had been a school teacher. My writing wasn't fancy, but it was, and still is, some of the most legible around. I do some calligraphy, put I'm still partial to cursive. Perhaps it's because I got a shoulder injury when I was a kid, and cursive with a pen or pencil with little drag is the least painful form of writing for me. Because of the injury, I was never a good typist, so I'm thankful for computers, but for me cursive was a godsend.
   Cursive, when done properly is an art form. Mathematicians speak of math as "elegant". I would like to see writing stay elegant.

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks MizBejabbers for your response! You have a valuable point about original old documents and Constitution. Cursive writing is artistic no doubt. I think the younger generation must have basic learning about it--to read and write it properly.

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   peachpurpleposted 7 years ago

   surprisingly, my son who is 10 years old, had been learning to write cursive writing at school since last year which is a compulsory subject.
   
   It was hard to teach him at first, he was whining, saying cannot cannot, very hard....
   
   Takes a lot of effort in teaching

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks peachpurple for your views about cursive writing. Most of the children today find it difficult and time consuming to learn it. Appreciate your feedback on this. Thanks and good day to you!

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   Rachel L Albaposted 7 years ago

   Yes, I do.  It's almost like an art.  But I have to say, my nine year old granddaughter has learned cursive writing and she is very good at it.

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      ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Rachel L Alba for your response to the question! It's good that your grand daughter has learned it. So many things have changed since our younger days. It is one of them. Have a good day!

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    brutishspoonposted 7 years ago

    I think that it gets taught to early in UK schools and that teachers should spend more time on teaching the letters normally and also spelling. When an infant school pupil writes in cursive it is hard to understand as it can look like just a mess of spaghetti on the page.

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       ChitrangadaSharanposted 7 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks Amy for your response to the question and sharing your point of view! Thanks.

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