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Why Cursive Should Be Taught In School(and perhaps why it is not)
The Tudor Tutor | September 27, 2015 | knarf http://freerepublic.com/perl/post_article

Posted on 09/27/2015 5:35:19 AM PDT by knarf



TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: cursive; education; historicaldocuments; k12
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To: Mr Rogers
I’ve largely forgotten how to write cursive.

I haven't forgotten.

But my cursive kinda looks like I did. :-P

101 posted on 09/27/2015 9:12:07 AM PDT by uglybiker (nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-BATMAN!)
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To: discostu

The giant “s” that looked like an “f” was done on a printing press.


102 posted on 09/27/2015 9:15:50 AM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: RegulatorCountry

That’s its most recent usage, but it predates the printing press.


103 posted on 09/27/2015 9:24:14 AM PDT by discostu (dream big and dance a lot)
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To: ziravan

“Cursive is a dead language.”

Technically, any linked language is cursive; some types of “linked printing” are cursive. My grandparents were taught Spencerian cursive; I was taught looped cursive (which I hated with a passion and quit using ASAP); I taught my kids Italic cursive.

But I do essentially agree that cursive is rapidly becoming a dead language that doesn’t need to be taught, because most people do so little handwriting that print is perfectly functional. OTOH, Latin is a dead language, and I still teach my kids a lot of it. I also expect them to be able to read cursive, not least because a lot of older kid’s books would have inserted letters or the like that are in a cursive script.

It’s also nice to be able to directly check primary history sources, or even your own personal history (letters to and from grandparents; notes in old family books), which are mostly in some form of cursive.


104 posted on 09/27/2015 9:41:32 AM PDT by Amity
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To: RipSawyer
I love really good cursive writing, I am 71 so I am among those who ATTEMPTED to learn cursive in school. Unfortunately I never seemed to be any good at it no matter how hard I tried...

Me too, same age group, same teaching, but never mastered the neatness that makes for beautiful cursive.

105 posted on 09/27/2015 9:47:11 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: discostu

Yes, I have a copy of a 1720’s book....it took awhile to get used to the f’s...as well as the “lingo”...LOL


106 posted on 09/27/2015 9:51:37 AM PDT by goodnesswins (hey..Wussie Americans....ISIS is coming. Are you ready?)
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To: ziravan
Cursive is a skill that will take a period of school a day, for several years to develop. The time and place for that is during the development of penmanship, grades 2-5.

Now that time is taken up by pro-homosexual, anti-bullying indoctrination.

107 posted on 09/27/2015 9:53:29 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: cornelis
Why instead? Teach both. As numerous posters have already pointed out, there are benefits to teaching handwriting.

You are correct that we should teach both, but typing is not something that needs to be taught at a young age. I being young (29), consider myself proficient in both cursive and typing, and I learned cursive in grade school and didn't touch typing until high school.
108 posted on 09/27/2015 10:26:45 AM PDT by PJBankard
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To: knarf

Cursive is a white thing.


109 posted on 09/27/2015 10:28:43 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: ziravan

“should Latin be a subject for older children who develop a knack and interest in such things?”

Maybe only to those who develop a knack/interest. But why shouldn’t teenagers be forced to do things that don’t really interest them if it’s to their long-term advantage? Kids call all the shots now, tell their parents how things will be, and have no self discipline. That goes for a language, music lessons, or what-have-you. I had no choice. In NY State, when their education system was excellent, we Regents students had to take a language. Our choices were Spanish, French, or Latin. Looking at a future in med school (I didn’t go), I chose Latin.

Interesting idea you brought up, i.e., teaching Latin to every first grader. Kind of “out there”, but how could it hurt? The education libs, TV shows, etc., are shoving Spanish down their throats. Why not Latin? With a base in Latin, the others come more easily.


110 posted on 09/27/2015 11:39:29 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam (Beware the tyranny of the easily offended. (Stossel))
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To: Black Agnes

“Then again we homeschool.”

I figured that home-schooled kids would be studying penmanship. Parents who homeschool generally want to give their kids all tools possible to be successful as adults.

And isn’t cursive beautiful? My dad, schooled in the ‘30s and ‘40s, had the most gorgeous penmanship!


111 posted on 09/27/2015 11:42:30 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam (Beware the tyranny of the easily offended. (Stossel))
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To: knarf

And we should force lefties to write as if they are using their right hand.

I hate getting ink on my cuff.


112 posted on 09/27/2015 12:01:02 PM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: ziravan

How about we teach them grammar. In the time that remains, they can learn cursive.


113 posted on 09/27/2015 12:02:23 PM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: ziravan
The dumbing down of America starts with wasting phenomenal amounts of time learning things of limited value.

Do you print your name when you endorse your pay check?

Thought so...

Regards,
GtG

114 posted on 09/27/2015 12:25:43 PM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, but it's OK. They all know me here.)
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To: knarf

Cursive’s utility is that it allows one to write quickly and efficiently with a minimum of lifting of the pen off the paper. Now, we have computers that are even more efficient in producing documents.


115 posted on 09/27/2015 1:25:55 PM PDT by Crucial (Tolerance at the expense of equal treatment is the path to tyranny.)
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To: ziravan

Actually I did read some of that transcript. In all fairness, had I read it first before I commented, my comment would not be so bad. I see what happened there, and although quite a mess, I better understand why you did what you did. So.....as far as Bill Clinton.....that comment sticks!


116 posted on 09/27/2015 1:36:25 PM PDT by tenthirteen
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To: PJBankard

Absolutely. Young kids have a lot of time to develop dexterity with their hands. Pity the child who didn’t have an adult to keep them on task when they wanted to go the easy route.


117 posted on 09/27/2015 2:16:53 PM PDT by cornelis
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To: knarf
Nobody who learns to write well will regret it.

Everyone admires the writing of those who do.

Of course, with computers and all, who needs mom and apple pie?

118 posted on 09/27/2015 2:20:44 PM PDT by cornelis
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To: Gandalf_The_Gray

I in fact don’t print my signature, neither do I use cursive. My “signature”, like most people these days, is a distinctive swiggle that you’d be hard pressed to declare it to be anything approaching text.


119 posted on 09/27/2015 2:22:51 PM PDT by ziravan (Buck the Establishment.)
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