Cursive handwriting going the way of the dodo?

[MadMike]

Not sure how I missed this thread before, since it's obviously been around for awhile.

I'm another one with terrible handwriting. Back when I was in grade school, I got mostly A's, except penmanship. And worse yet, it always seemed to come down to the personal preference of whichever teacher I had. I spent the better part of a year working to get my writing to look the way the teacher wanted it, only to have next year's teacher hate it. So frustrating.

[Andara Bledin]

Technically, "handwriting" is cursive. Printed letters are called "printing," likely in reference to machine printed texts, as the letters would all have been separate.

Honestly, in the modern age, there's not much call for needing to know how to handwrite, unless you want to show off your penmanship.

^-.-^

[AdminAssistant]

Good penmanship is still a virtue, I think, as we do still have to communicate via the written word occasionally, and it helps for it to be legible. Grading essays on exams is sometimes like translating a foreign language.

I just had to address 85 wedding invitations....that was fun. And by fun I mean nerve-wracking and, by the end, a bit painful, since I did them all in one sitting. Technically, I could have typed all the addresses and printed them on labels or directly on the envelopes, but I'm glad I took the time to do it by hand. (I did do the return address on labels, of course.)

[Tanasi]

My kids were all taught pensmanship starting in 2nd or 3rd grade. I remember starting in 4th my teachers wouldn't accept any work unless it was legiblly written in cursive.
My Mom has the most incredible handwriting, at her last job she addressed all the packages. She has awards for penmanship. I can do well is I take my time mostly I'm in a hurry and legiblity suffers.

[bex1218]

In the third grade, I was the only one to not know how to write in cursive. Hell, I just learned to read the year before (I was a slow learner for a while). I got made fun of.

Then didn't use it again until the 8th grade. Had to teach myself again. I'm surprised I passed my class.

Last time I had to use cursive was on the stupid SATs. Had to write some stupid paragraph in cursive.

I write like a guy in print. And I write really fast. Cursive would take me 3X slower to do.

[HYHYBT]

My dictionary (the one that's on the Dashboard of OSX) shows, for handwriting: "writing with a pen or pencil." And for "write":

"mark (letters, words, or other symbols) on a surface, typically paper, with a pen, pencil, or similar implement: he wrote his name on the paper | Alice wrote down the address | [ no obj. ] : he wrote very neatly in blue ink.
• [ no obj. ] have the ability to mark coherent letters or words in this way: he couldn't read or write.
• fill out or complete (a sheet, check, or similar) in this way: he had to write a check for $800.
• [ no obj. ] write in a cursive hand, as opposed to printing individual letters.

So writing *can* be used specifically to mean printing, but it is just as valid to use it to include any hand-formed lettering.

[powerboy]

I have great handwriting when I actually take the time to write it out.

[fireheart17]

Technically, "handwriting" is cursive. Printed letters are called "printing," likely in reference to machine printed texts, as the letters would all have been separate.

Honestly, in the modern age, there's not much call for needing to know how to handwrite, unless you want to show off your penmanship.



^-.-^

It can be built into several aspects-spelling, oral language and we still do communicate with handwriting. It's also been argued that it helps with fine motor skills.*

My writing now is messy, unless I take my time. And I often have to write things; ie, having to renew the health and safety and tanker training every six months or write out a fuel delivery. My writing is perfectly legible; it's rounded and fairly neat. I don't see how putting in fancy loops makes any difference, to be honest, to teaching kids how to write.

Sorry, I should've been a bit more clearer when I necrobumped this thread.

This should explain a bit better what I'm referring to: http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/literacy/d...937&navgrp=152

[Gravekeeper]

I can't write recursive worth a damn, it physically hurts to do. Handwritten assignments use to cripple me. Because I don't hold a pen right. Or rather I'm right handed but hold a pen like I'm a lefty. Because there was some debate as to which I was when I was a kid. Grandparents said left, mom said right. My mom was right, but damage was done and despite corrective lessons they were never able to undo it. -.-

But yeah, there's not much function left for recursive outside of making your signature look pretty. I've barely used it since high school.

[SongsOfDragons]

I have always said that my handwriting looks like a drunken epileptic tangoing spider dipped in ink. I'm not entirely happy with it. I'd love a neater natural scrawl but I don't think it's happening. Writing neat for addresses and stuff takes...half to two thirds the time longer. Handwriting lessons in my primary taught a really stupid way of writing that the entire class hated, and you weren't allowed pens or accepted work unless you knuckled down. Secondary school, everyone stopped joining up...

I learnt calligraphy, though that isn't too neat either. I'd love to learn a shorthand...

EDIT: although, calligraphy can be spidery too...Dad and I have been looking through the 1911 census recently, and some of the handwriting there is DREADFUL!! A word I swore looked like 'Jeeeeee' was actually 'Queens'...

[anakhouri]

I have excellent handwriting. Possibly because I write all the time (I am an author but cannot write in front of a computer; it has to all be longhand first). I often get compliments on my neat handwriting.

I plan to teach Khan whether his school does or not. Whatever happens with technology in the future, it may well be a useful skill to have, especially since I intend to make him write thank you notes for every gift he receives (I write them now, he 'signs' them).

Beyond that, he can use it as a secret code with his friends or something.

[HYHYBT]

I can't write recursive worth a damn, it physically hurts to do.

Sorry, I can't resist:

The trouble with writing recursive is you never finish.

[tropicsgoddess]

I could definitely see teaching cursive going the way of the dodo, as for using it....definitely that too years from now.

[Seifer]

Caligraphy is really pretty, too. For those who like it.

I say let cursive be an elective and fall into the category or Arts, since the only redeeming factor is aesthetics.

I think this is a great idea. Third grade is when kids here start to learn cursive, and a lot of them are excited to start. They see their parents or teachers writing in cursive and want to learn how to write like them. They'd probably take a cursive writing elective in a heartbeat.