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Should Cursive Be Required? (Semi-Vanity)

Posted on 08/20/2006 3:45:13 PM PDT by AVNevis

My little brother is starting the forth grade. His teacher is making all of the students write in cursive. This is a problem for him since he hasn't recieved much instruction in it so far and even his printing is kind of messy.

But my question is why? Why are we making kids write all of their classwork in cursive? The last time I used that skill was in the fifth grade when I was learning cursive. Except for a few rare occasions, I haven't used it since.

I can understand teaching it a little bit so you can read cursive writing and develop a signature. But make the kids write everything in cursive? Isn't that a little much for a skill they will only rarely use? They may as well learn Old English.

I think I would much rather have them practive typing and printing neatly, which they will use much more.

No one has been able to give me a good reason why cursive should be required. Am I missing something?


TOPICS: Education; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: dumbingdown
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To: elfman2
Next century people may be asking “Why learn to type when I just dictate everything into my ring computer”. The century after that it may be controlled by implant.

That's kind of what I'm afraid of. :-\ I know the world is more convenient now, and I wouldn't give up my computer and I like my mass-produced books...but there's still something about hand-written letters and notes, and journals and all. I'd hate to see those disappear entirely.

41 posted on 08/20/2006 4:29:54 PM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: AVNevis
My little brother is starting the forth grade. His teacher is making all of the students write in cursive

Maybe the teachers should instead emphasize speling... (j/k ;)

Long ago I used to write a full check in cursive -- then a very large check was misinterpreted by the bank almost a thousand dollars not in our favor, which was a pain to resolve. Now it's the signature in cursive, everything else with printing.

42 posted on 08/20/2006 4:31:37 PM PDT by mikrofon (Better to learn cursive than cursing.)
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To: HairOfTheDog

I have a neat, very legible and fast handwriting. Very useful for taking notes in classes where the Profs thought every word they spoke was a pearl of wisdom.

Slackers frequently requested copies of my notes.

Haven't used the skill in 25 years, but it was handy then.


43 posted on 08/20/2006 4:31:59 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Big Media is like Barney Fife with a gun.)
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To: Sacajaweau

So it isn't the best for large mass-produced print items. That doesn't make it a useless skill.


44 posted on 08/20/2006 4:32:50 PM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: elfman2
Next century people may be asking “Why learn to type when I just dictate everything into my ring computer”. The century after that it may be controlled by implant.

Perhaps, but I think we will still be writing our personal notes by hand, for the same reason that photography hasn't completely replaced drawing and painting. Most people prefer a masterful painting over a photograph.

45 posted on 08/20/2006 4:33:17 PM PDT by SampleMan
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To: Michael Goldsberry

:-)

Oh, to be able to do calligraphy like that!


46 posted on 08/20/2006 4:34:16 PM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: AVNevis
When taking notes a good, quick handwriting would help. When writing tests it would be essential.

It might be noted that Stephen King writes his frequent and largish novels longhand with a fountain pen.

47 posted on 08/20/2006 4:35:50 PM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: AVNevis

Why should kids practice typing, since it will probably be replaced by voice recognition technology?


48 posted on 08/20/2006 4:38:00 PM PDT by GoLightly
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To: AVNevis
Who needs cursive when you can sign your name with a smiley face?


49 posted on 08/20/2006 4:39:34 PM PDT by InvisibleChurch (What I do (sin) is proof of what I am (sinful).)
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To: RosieCotton

It's not a useless skill at all. I love cursive and taught my granddaughter. She adopted a wonderful signature and she can read my letters.


50 posted on 08/20/2006 4:40:12 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: HairOfTheDog
Agreed. Good handwriting will probably always be valuable in life.

Echo that. When the heavens past out the 'penmanship' genes to me my pen was inkless.

There is cursive, and then there is beautiful cursive.  There is beauty in it, artful.  Leaves me in awe of that gift.

People that can produce artful cursive will always appear to me as more intelligent.

The Declaration of Independence is one such example.

51 posted on 08/20/2006 4:42:10 PM PDT by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
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To: RightWhale
It might be noted that Stephen King writes his frequent and largish novels longhand with a fountain pen.

JK Rowling writes all her first drafts longhand, too.

However, personally, I'm a good example of the fact that writing by hand doesn't necessarily make your stories at all good... ;-)

52 posted on 08/20/2006 4:52:05 PM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: AVNevis

Hand/eye coordination and fine motor skills.


53 posted on 08/20/2006 4:57:20 PM PDT by Professional Engineer (The reason humans didn't practice war any longer, was they were very, very good at it.)
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To: RosieCotton

No, but some people can compose better with a pencil and paper than with a keyboard, some prefer keyboard, some dictate while pacing the room. Whichever lets the creative juices flow, to coin a phrase. :)


54 posted on 08/20/2006 4:57:44 PM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: Gordongekko909
I write my name in cursive, and that's it. I print or type otherwise.

I write my name in an unintelligible group of lines. I tend to print everything else.

55 posted on 08/20/2006 4:59:17 PM PDT by nonliberal (Graduate: Curtis E. LeMay School of International Relations)
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To: Professional Engineer
Hand/eye coordination and fine motor skills.

That's what video games are for...

56 posted on 08/20/2006 5:01:50 PM PDT by ThinkDifferent
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To: AVNevis

I learned cursive in the first grade... 4th is much too late..


57 posted on 08/20/2006 5:02:26 PM PDT by tje (Cold hearted orb, that rules the night....)
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To: AVNevis
They should be allowed to use whatever is more comfortable and easiest for them.

I think we're the big people and should decide for them what will be best. Going with what you already know and ignoring new techniques is always "easiest" in the short run. Guess what an eight-year-old will choose?

Same applies to math. Although you can add 9+9+9+9+9+9+9+9=72, just knowing by rote that 9x8=72 is much better.

58 posted on 08/20/2006 5:03:51 PM PDT by SampleMan
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To: AVNevis

Cursive is great, can be beautiful, and is faster than printing. That said, I have terrible, illegible handwriting - and I'm not a guy - and have never been able to improve it. It was bad in 2nd grade and it's even worse decades later.

I think perhaps it's taught badly, because in theory it's a great system, but many, many people have awful handwriting and are told to take up block letters and never write cursive again. There's something wrong!


59 posted on 08/20/2006 5:07:33 PM PDT by livius
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To: ThinkDifferent
That's what video games are for...

Doesn't work. I'm proof. I spent a large amount of time and quarters playing, and my penmanship/fine motor skills still suck.

My kids WILL learn to handwrite well.

60 posted on 08/20/2006 5:28:53 PM PDT by Professional Engineer (The reason humans didn't practice war any longer, was they were very, very good at it.)
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