subject: Child Development: Cursive Writing In The School [print this page] I learned cursive writing in the third gradeI learned cursive writing in the third grade. I can still visualize the alphabet letters across the top of the blackboard - capital letters, with each small letter version following. The teacher had us practice writing the cursive on large lined notebook paper.
Today, however, cursive writing is going by the wayside. Technology, with keyboards and keypads, allow a child to simply type a cursive font, if desired, instead of writing a handwritten letter.
There are pros and cons for using cursive; and having schools teach our children cursive.
Communication has come down to email and texting, all being written via a computer.
On occasion I have received a Thank You note from an adolescent grandchild. I am always appalled that they have trouble with handwritten words.
Yet, it is not an intellectual thing, as these kids are bright.
Schoolwork and homework are now being done almost entirely on a computer. Typing is much easier for a teacher to read than reading an essay from a child who has scribbled handwriting.
Some people will argue that teaching a child cursive (and the patience of learning it) will add to their intellect and future success in life.
It appears cursive writing may actually make a child think instead of just automatically punching a keypad without thought. When asked to write something by hand, they seem to have trouble, whereas, texting allows for shortcuts and the brain automatically hits the appropriate keys.
I recently read an article about the demise of cursive writing and whether or not it was a good thing for young people to not know how to write-by-hand. (Cosco Connection, September 2010)
After all, how often do we use it as adults, except to sign our names on the keypad after swiping a credit card into an electronic terminal? And, even then, the signature is often illegible.
Cursive writing appears to be more of an art form today, much like historical calligraphy. It is much slower than typing, even for those who type with index fingers only.
Cursive writing is becoming more and more a part of history today.
Cursive writing has a slant that often is indecipherable when handwritten. If texting used slanted letters, it would have died an early death.
And, because handwriting fonts are available to those people using the keyboard who want to emulate handwritten letters, signatures, etc, society has added writing to the list of what used to be.
I still like it, however. I like its fluency and elegance. It adds a personal touch to paper correspondence (for the time being).
