Aside from a signature, what use is there in the adult world for cursive these days?
Cursive writing is a INDIVIDUAL trait, be it good or bad. It is a sign of INDIVIDUALISM.
That must be destroyed...........Thus sayeth Obama...................
What use is there for cursive? I take notes...because it means I will likely remember what I’m hearing....and I can write very fast (cursive)....but, then I can type probably about 100+ wpm, too....both skills can be useful. But, I don’t think we need to spend a lot of school time on either one. (I made my teenage son take a summer typing class in the 1980’s)
I still write a considerable amount by hand, and I’ve always found cursive to be faster than printing. After a stern talking to I got from my third grade teacher about my terrible handwriting, I cleaned up my act and have maintained good penmanship ever since. Up until recently, plenty of writing was done in cursive and, since I like to do historical research, and read old census records or Grandma’s old post cards, etc., I need to read cursive, and knowing how to write it makes reading it easier. I find an aesthetic pleasure in writing and reading cursive that I don’t find in writing on or reading off a computer screen, in the same way that I prefer a real book to a Kindle. I’ll agree that none of this is hard-core practical, but a lot of what we get in education isn’t hard-core practical. I used to hear my classmates complain about having to study grammar, mathematics and history, or about having to read literature: how am I ever going to use this? What they were missing was not only the content of what was being taught, that could help them be truly educated and cultured people, but also the discipline that comes from learning anything. I’m glad my son’s school taught him cursive — I was going to teach him myself if they hadn’t — that he has the skill and the discipline that came from learning it, and that he can find some enjoyment in it as I have. His keyboaring skills haven’t suffered anything from his having learned cursive — he is fast and accurate and got an A in his keyboarding class.