Cursive Writing: Going, Going . . .

 Cursive writing  is (gasp). . . dying?   

  Without knowledge of cursive, it greatly narrows the scope of the written word:

Recently,  a third grade parent called  her son's teacher to find out when she planned on teaching cursive writing.  The teacher told her they would  spend two weeks (Yes.  Two weeks.)  on it. . . at the end of the school year.  He never learned how to write a Z because they ran out of time.

 The Common Core Standard Initiative was  adopted in 46  states as of this August.  It provides a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know that they need to do to help them succeed in a global economy.  It doesn't include  cursive writing.

 Obviously, if you haven't learned cursive writing in school, you can't read it, write it, or  understand it.   Do we want our  children to be cursive illiterate in their own language?  Do we want them to be dependent on those who can transcribe?  Lots of  school districts don't teach it any more.  Although, thankfully, some schools fit it in.

Of course, with the access of smart phones, tablets and computers, it's easy to connect to other people and . . . communicate.  Let's face it:   The 21st Century needs these skills much more than the art of penmanship. . .and cursive is an art form.    We know fonts can be beautiful.   But - what about those times when an electronic gadget isn't available?  What about lower income families who can't afford computers, etc.  What then? It's the same thing about learning arithmetic facts in case calculators are not available. 

When did cursive writing begin? Cursive handwriting began approximately in twelfth century Europe after the introduction of lower case letters.  In the mid 1700's special schools were established to teach handwriting techniques, or penmanship.  Master Penmen were employed to copy official documents.  In the mid 1800's Zaner-Bloser Company was formed.

 In 1904 the Zaner Method for Elementary Children began.  It is the main style today. During the 1950's and 1960's,  second and third grade children anticipated the rite of passage.  . .   And from then on, they were expected to always use it.   In 1970 D'Nealian which used slanted print letters were used to transition into cursive.  It is popular today.

Before the typewriter was invented, .handwriting was the main way to communicate.  Schools spent hours teaching penmanship; averaging 15 minutes a day, each school day, for usually three years.   Each writer's script had to be beautifully formed.    There really was the three R's: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.

In the 1700's Cursive writing was considered "the art of handwriting".   Then it gradually became handwriting purely as communication. Letters weren't as carefully formed or joined together, but everyone learned it. 



Cursive was so popular in  some school districts  that they introduced cursive in first grade; printing was ushered in later.  Good penmanship meant you'd grown into a disciplined adult.

There are so many reasons for keeping cursive writing:

 1.  Joining  letters made it easier and quicker for words and ideas to flow.  2.  Handwriting increases brain activity, it hones fine motor skills. and can predict a child's academic success in ways that smart phones, tablets and computers cannot.  3.  It prevents reversals (b,d) and confusion of letters, (p,q)
4.   It enhances spelling ability.  5. Less strokes are needed to form letters.  (3 strokes per cursive letter vs. 6 for printing.).

Historically:   Who'll be able to read i.e. The Constitution or other documented papers?  Should every-day journals be thrown out because they can't be read? And simply because some papers are written in cursive, will someone else be needed to translate to others?

We all know people who write beautifully. .I'm sure you can picture someone right now. As mentioned before - Cursive is an art form.  Also - A 2006 study of the essay portion of the SAT showed that  those who used cursive did slightly better than those who printed.  (Even though only 15% used cursive.)

Yes.  Cursive could be thought of as a dying art form.  But there is a growing community of people who value this  and they wish to see it continue being taught. I say, good for them!   It would be unwise to see it die out.