Posted on 03/15/2014 10:41:36 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Kids can text on tiny keyboards, convey their thoughts in 140 characters or less and use numbers for prepositions, but some states fear they soon may not be able to sign their own names.
In this digital age of Internet acronyms, like “LOL,” and emoticons, Tennessee is the latest state pressing for legislation that mandates students learn cursive writing in school. Lawmakers in the state are pushing for passage of House Bill 1697, which would require all public school students to learn how to read and write in cursive, preferably by the third grade.
The bill, authored by state Republican Rep. Sheila Butt, is meant to prevent a decline in students’ ability to read handwritten notes and sign their own names as well as interpret historical documents in their original form, like the Declaration of Independence.
“Cursive writing is timeless because it connects us to our past,” Butt told FoxNews.com. …
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Agree with your #15, I learned cursive in second grade and wasn’t even aware that there are schools that don’t teach cursive.
I still sign my name. For everything else, there is printing...although my printing often connects letters, so perhaps what I use is a style of cursive closer to block letters. But I gave up the penmanship taught to me in school 40 years ago.
I’ve seem the same responses to suggestions the constitutional literacy should be a requirement to graduate from high school.
Why waste time on that dusty “400 year old” document?
But you know how to read it which is what is really important.
I mostly print too but thank God I can read cursive writing.
I only write in cursive. Trying to write otherwise my writing looks terrible.
My wife, a history major, has made that observation as well. There are many historical documents which require the ability to read in cursive in order to grasp their meaning. Letters from Revolutionary or Civil war soldiers to their families, or from elected representatives to constituents provide valuable insight into their lives and the events of the time.
As a teacher, my wife has also mentioned that learning cursive teaches hand-eye coordination and improves fine motor skills. It may not be as useful today with the presence of keyboard, but there are still advantages to learning it.
I have a white board with cursive alphabet on it, my Grandson does it until he gets it right when I baby sit.
I am a writer and have found that my writing is more creative when employing cursive. For logical reasoning and restructuring a document, using a computer is more efficient for me. However, if I want to put forth my most original, nuanced ideas I have to use cursive.
Here’s an article that points to research that indicates, when compared with typing, writing by hand triggers different parts of the brain:
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704631504575531932754922518?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052748704631504575531932754922518.html
Isn’t writing in cursive a lot faster than printing? That’s what I always think anyway.
Indeed, the old style of Japanese--known as Kobun--is not a popular subject in schools there, and it's not hard to figure out why: it would be like trying to teach Americans the equivalent of Old English. In fact, when the Hirohito (Emperor Showa) read the rescript that accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration for the surrender of Japan in that famous speech, the majority of Japanese had serious difficulties understanding it because it was essentially a speech in the same language as a Noh dramatic play, which uses Kobun as the spoken language.
By “Old English”, do you mean Anglo-Saxon or something like Chaucer’s Middle English? Those were two very different tongues in and of themselves.
Kobun is an odd one. Any idea why it’s heavier on kana than modern Japanese?
My 4th and 5th graders constantly complained when I wrote in cursive on the board because they couldn’t read it. Cursive is supposed to be taught in 3rd grade! Consequently, I spent a lot of time teaching cursive and they always ended up loving it. It gave them a sense of accomplishment and they were also very proud of themselves when they could write in cursive.
… but you should always be able to read it.
I’ll bet you can. I can even though I write in caps.
The d*mned, dumbed down Teacher’s Unions who probably can’t read or wire cursive are h=behind it.
When the power goes out, only those that have a command of language will know how to continue.
Maybe this will lead to a possible thinning out of the herd, since they won’t be able to ‘internet search engine name’ anything, and when they are handed a piece of paper to read, go to the wrong location and ......
(you write the rest of that story for yourself!
We should make sure kids keep learning things that are archaic and has no value to them. Maybe we can also have all kids learn how to shoe a horse or re-thatch a roof.
Yes. The same reason the Progressives deemed Greek and Latin "dead languages". Saved us from reading the history of our civilization in the original [which was the purpose of learning them].
No. Much better we teach the little beggars how to order coffee in French or ask where the library is in Spanish. Utter waste of money and school time.
Nothing is “archaic” about cursive handwriting. Do you want all children to be like Rachel Jeantel?
theyve tried to decimate the language, and have succeeded to a great degree
They’ve tried to decimate the “the arts”, and have succeeded to a great degree.
come to think of it most of the communist goals from the 1950’s I think it was have been “reached”
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