Some lament loss of cursive but teachers shrug

The Evansville Courier Press ^ | October 12, 2006 | Margaret Pressler

[Gordongekko909]

I haven't written anything except my signature in cursive since 1992.

[Clintonfatigued]

While not really a homeschooling vs. public school or quality of education article, this does touch on a trend that the computer is causing, one that those interested in educational issues will want to be up on. Perhaps handwriting will go the way of the old printing press.

[sarasota]

I use cursive for my grocery list.

[llevrok]

The computer keyborad helped kill shorthand

F7 works regardless of keyboard or cursive.

[Squeako]

When handwritten essays were intorduced on the SAT exams...

It's a good thing that she typed this instead of writing it in cursive.

Besides, work in architecture and you'll probably never write in cursive again...or lower case letters for that matter.

[ExtremeUnction]

I was taught the "Palmer Method' in Catholic school. Now I use cursive at work as code, because most people can't read it.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Seeing the unreadable garbage that most people write, this is no loss.

[Egon]

The computer keyborad helped kill shorthand, and now it's threatening to kill off longhand.

As well as spelling/typing/editing skills, apparently.

[Red Badger]

Cursive? What's that?.........a new RAP Style?........

[shhrubbery!]

The cursive script that's been taught for decades in American public schools is just plain UGLY.

Most people with more than half a brain develop their own cursive style as soon as they get out of elementary school (teachers seem to stop caring after that).

When I see handwriting that's written in perfect "schoolteacher" cursive, I think the writer must be a dull unimaginative person -- just like most public school teachers.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Absolutely useless skill, in my humble opinion - prioritizing style over substance. Most people's attempts at cursive produce an illegible scrawl (as any recipient of a doctor's prescription can testify), and even good cursive can be difficult to read quickly. An ability to write plain, block text clearly is all that's needed. I'd be concerned if my kids were spending time learning cursive when they could be learning math.

[A message]

I write all my business correspondence in cursive when sending a handwritten letter.

But then I have very nice hand writing and I went to a public school.

Go figure.

[newgeezer]

Yesterday's news (Chat, actually).

[Red Badger]

Besides, work in architecture and you'll probably never write in cursive again...or lower case letters for that matter.

....or electronics or any engineering area.........

[ladyjane]

Darn, you beat me to it.

[battlegearboat]

I have very beautiful hand writing.

I have man hands.

[Political Junkie Too]

Cursive? What's that?.........a new RAP Style?........

I think Cursive is when you write any words that begin with "F".

-PJ

[Red Badger]

I write all my business correspondence in cursive when sending a handwritten letter.

We learned the Old English lettering system when I was in school. Can still do some of it, but I wouldn't use it again unless I was corresponding with a monk.........

[Tao Yin]

When you say cursive, many people will think of the fancy, loop de loop frilly writing that we all know.

But cursive really just means joined. For quick and legible writing, Christopher Jarman created one of the best systems.

A short introduction is available online.