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OT: cursive writing

2

2x4

Well-known Member
read about schools not teaching cursive; thot it was terrible idea. Gave up on my own writing & went to printing my words 40 yrs ago. So tonite I decided to write a letter in cursive just for the novelty of it. I COULD'NT DO IT!? At first I couldn't force myself to write, just printed every letter while trying to write it! LOL. After couple paragraphs it somewhat came back to me. Can't believe I forgot how to write!! Still can't make a capital 'I' in cursive. Linking the letters is the big problem. A keyboard is my saving grace. When was the last time you wrote cursive. Try it, then be honest!
 
For some reason, I saved every one of my mother's letters to me, for decades. You ought to see her Catholic parochial school cursive, it is perfect, perfect.
 
(quoted from post at 00:53:55 12/12/15) read about schools not teaching cursive; thot it was terrible idea. Gave up on my own writing & went to printing my words 40 yrs ago. So tonite I decided to write a letter in cursive just for the novelty of it. I COULD'NT DO IT!? At first I couldn't force myself to write, just printed every letter while trying to write it! LOL. After couple paragraphs it somewhat came back to me. Can't believe I forgot how to write!! Still can't make a capital 'I' in cursive. Linking the letters is the big problem. A keyboard is my saving grace. When was the last time you wrote cursive. Try it, then be honest!
Click to expand...

I can still do it but then I did a lot or writing in my life. Much more than the average person I bet.

Rick
 
That is like riding a bicycle, how do you forget that? I write in a daily diary everyday. I used to have beautiful writing when I was in school and then life got in the way and now it is more of a scrawling. Sometimes I can't even read what I wrote. But then, who cares anymore?
 
School kids hear enough cursing at home and do not need to learn to curse at school, be it writing or talking.
 
I use it routinely. Not daily, and not much, but if I leave a note for someone, it's usually in cursive.

I can do quite presentable cursive if I take my time, but I tend toward scribbling if its a quick note.
 
I use cursive when writing letters to friends and family that will be sent USPS . Just another way of life I don't want to let pass. I have a childhood friend that I keep in contact with and who I visit each year. We exchange letters and Christmas cards and is always is written cursive. Admitedly some words take a second look to figure out . I hate to think of cursive writing dissapearing, along with many other beliefs and teachings. Good subject.
 
About this time last year I was in the bank and another guy came in and was asking the teller if he could sign a check for his daughter and deposit it in her Christmas account, then went on to say they don't teach cursive in school so she doesn't even know how to sign her name.
 
Certainly did enough of it in school. But ever since then, I find the brief notes I might leave are much clearer in large(capital) letters.
The real surprise to me is that I find myself on here trying to peck out something which makes sense. If they had tried to teach me typing in school I would have rebelled. But it appears that might have been more valuable than most of what they tried to stuff in my head! So it is thanks to Yesterday's Tractors for bringing me into the 21'st century.
 
I don't know where you guys keep hearing cursive is not taught in schools anymore. Both of my kids were taught it, and my youngest is almost 14.
 
John, I write in cursive all the time. It was not taught in school for a while here in Oconee, but it is being taught again now.
My handwriting is terrible as was my Dad's and his mother's. My sons are not much better. It must be genetic as is the Parkinsons that runs in the family.
My mothers handwriting was exquisite, but she was taught in England.
Richard in NW SC
 
My boy is 7 and not being taught. my older step kids were taught it but it was... different, than I learned it. It looked like wavy printing to me.
 
I don't want to get in the middle of a discussion if things get heated, as they sometimes can when people have strong differing opinions. However, one thing to consider is the amount of time a child has in a school day. It is not limitless, and teachers can by no means teach what and when they want to. Teachers are held accountable by administration check-ins at least twice per week to insure that educational expectations are being followed. In our district it is mandated that students have at least 90 minutes of math instruction, 120 minutes of language arts instruction, 50 minutes of art/science/social studies/physical education instruction, and 30 minutes of music instruction. Add in 45 minutes for required lunch and recess break, and a daily schedule is full to overflowing in no time. Very little room for deviation.
Yes, cursive writing is part of language arts, and technically could be taught there. But, so is keyboarding for word processing. As educators, a decision has to be made as to which one is more beneficial to a student's overall readiness for continuing their education or career readiness. Most will say keyboarding, no question. Many careers require people to have a minimal standard of typing skills for consideration of that job. I don't know of any job where your cursive ability is part of determining if you will get a job, or not. Continued education- I don't think there are very many, if any, colleges or post secondary education facilities that have professors and educators that would allow a continuing education student to turn in a handwritten paper in today's world of electronics. I know 20 years ago it wasn't an option for me.
I certainly agree cursive handwriting is a dying art, but the practicality of it is questionable, in my opinion, too. At one point in history, it was a very necessary and useful skill to have. In today's time, given the choice of keyboarding skills or cursive handwriting skills, I'll choose keyboarding as being more valuable.
These thoughts are simply my own observations, and others may disagree.
 
My mothers was some of the most beautiful handwriting you ever saw. It looked like a mix of old style and new style and is very elegant, and that's normal for her. Dads was OK, I could read and I have to admit I got pretty good at forging his signature in school. My cursive is so-so, so I try and avoid using it, but my print is just about as bad. I could never hold a pencil or pen very good, but I still find it easier to use one of those fat 1st grade pencils, and like my wife says, I can read that! My oldest boy has to print, his cursive is terrible, just blends too much together, but he writes small anyways. My youngest has good, clean cursive, but I have a hard time sometimes because hes left handed and it leans the other way!
 
John M You just said the KEY word in that your youngest is 14. They just started this in the last few years. Some schools are still teaching writing but many are not. The local school here still does but not very much and not like it used to be.

The one worry I have is the majority of the founding documents are all written with cursive writing. So IF we quit teaching it to the regular old average American will they still be able to actually KNOW what those founding documents really say???? Will they need an Government approved interpreter???? I try to not be paranoid about the "tin foil hat" type of thing but as I have gotten older I am less trusting on my government.

As for using cursive writing. I still do but really I find you do not write as much anymore. I do type a lots on a computer but not much writing.

PS. Side note. One of the most valuable things I have is the beautifully hand written letters my first wife sent me when we where first married. With the second being her daily activity diary. I still re-read those letter every now and then. I actually made copies and the originals are in my safety deposit box.
 
M NUT I do NOT buy that they do not have time anymore. They have time to teach reproductive education ( filter stopped XXX) They have the time to teach the abundant dogma that all nnalert are evil and the "GOOD" nnalert are great. LOL Not really but the slant is there for most classes, especially college. Teach key boarding/typing early and cursive writing later.
 
Good riddance! I always hated writing in cursive, mostly due to being a lefty. I am 38 and have not written in cursive outside of my signature since 6th grade. I can't read most people's cursive writing, either.
 
I stopped using cursive about 50 years ago, my writing always looked like 3rd grade. Printing everything except an illegible signature fit in when I went to engineering school. However I am left handed, and like to "impress" people with my ability to write backwards, upside down, and upside down and backwards. It's just no fun to do that printing, printing s too easy as long as you pay attention to the N's. Writing backwards is not all that hard, you just have to concentrate on right to left, and upside down and backward is strangely sassier than just backwards. So I write in cursive occasionally but you have to have a mirror to read it, and it still looks like a 3rd grader wrote it.
 
The really sad part is I doubt that half of the teachers across the country can write in cursive.
 
Here's an example. Sure enough, use a mirror and it looks like third grader did it.
30936.jpg
 
Two Dogs! I've got some friends who call me Two Dogs, didn't see your Indian heritage until I saw your initials, TDF!! How's your brother Soaring Eagle?
 
Yehbut, how do you sign your name without using cursive? BTW, I find it hard to write since using the keyboard almost exclusively.
 
I know people of all age groups, ranging from my own sons, to 90 year old guys and gals, and every body I know knows how to write cursive. It must be a regional thing.
 
Please keep in mind, in public schools, teachers, and even administrators, don't make the decisions as to what is taught, and for what time frame. I'm not disagreeing that things you don't like to see taught, are being taught, but that is all government decision, wether it be state or federal. If a teacher does not follow these expectations, he/she will be looking for employment in a different career field soon. Insubordination is not tolerated, regardless of teacher tenure laws or any other protection/privileges some people perceive teachers as having. Education is not a simple process.
Yes, it is slanted toward the abundant agenda, but not all educators embrace this thinking. I know many conservative educators who do their best daily to teach students to the best of their ability, while doing so within the guidelines established by government.
It needs to be understood, that if people want curriculum changes, those changes start in state and federal capital buildings. Your local school districts have very limited input in "what" is taught, they are just responsible for insuring it "is" taught.
 

Interesting post. I took typing in HS - it was a elective in my school. I suppose I took it for the girls in the class. I never typed until computers became a way of life in the work world. I my case I was prepared; when I started working I would write reports and the secretaries would type them, do spell check etc. The computer replaced the secretaries and I typed my own reports etc. Things change.

For me I always questioned the need (30 minutes per your post) for music. Perhaps that is why we need professionals to manage our schools.
 
2x4 as I read your post I thought to myself "*I* know how to write in cursive, I could never forget that, this guy's crazy"...

Then you mentioned writing the capital letter I...

For the life of me... I can't remember how! I know it'll come back to me - and I think it MUST just be a big thin loop... but I honestly can't remember!

funny.
 
How many people are capable of reading the original copy of the bible? Very, very few. Yet the translations are taken as absolute truth by many.
 
yeah ,,. if they got time to waste on that ,,. they ought to teach everyone to copy and write in cursive a chapter in the Bible each day ,, Sister Agnese chose about 3 -5 versees per day . we would hand it in for grade on spelling penmanship , neatness , plus for extra credit , write a short narrative of the intent , a comment , or a question for discussion referring to the teaching of the bible chapter ,.. this helpt the bozo kids that were fal;ling behind in grades shoreup their sagging grade .. and helpt them tremendously academically .. also we were encouragd to speak to the class an editorial in our own words what was the intent of the words in the bible.. Sister Intended for Us to COMPREHEND WHAT WAS intent in the teachig and SHE wanted us to think in our own words what the chapter stated ,. Sister believed that we all learn a little differently , so she tried every avenue to make us think ... we got all that done in about 30 minutes to an hour every day in the 4th grade ,,. it really was healthy thought , discussion , for everyone ,.,.. my 4th grade teacher coulda taught me all the way thru school ,. and I would a been just as well educated ,. morally, citizenship , tempermant , and yes the Catholic faith was taught/
 
I learned how to do both in elementary school(mid 50's) and have no problem using ether one of them. I can write a letter faster using cursive over printing it.
 
I'm not sure it is a regional thing. Last month I went to a meeting of honey producers in Cedar Rapids Iowa. The National Honey Queen was there. One of her jobs was handing out door prizes. she is around 20 years old and could not read the names written in cursive. When we were in school all the girls had beautiful penmanship. That is not so now, most of the younger ones are worse than mine, and I am 66 with terrible arthritis in both hands.
 
I still writ cursive. However being left handed I found it difficult to learn. If I am deliberate how I write, I have been told my writing is quite good. If I am in a hurry however, It makes a doctors writing look good.
 
Hi, I was always good writer. Always got comments. But the last few years I have some Parkinson' s. My hand is not steady. I used to write xmas cards with a letter.it took a while. I didn't like the big family printed reams in the card people would enclose. I thought a few lines in their own hand was better. Now I'm buggered. I have to type on computer, print and enclose. Can write in diary only at certain times of day. Ed will
 
I just asked my wife- first and second grade teacher at our Lutheran grade school- if she still taught cursive. "Yes, and I always will". That answers that.

I cannot fathom a cursive YT message board, I can barely comprehend the message of some posts here now, much less in varying writing styles.
 
My daughter lives in the north east corner of Indy and they stopped teaching cursive writing in schools there maybe 6 years ago but have since brought it back.
 
Started school in a school with first and second grades together in same room, 4 rooms total in school for 8 grades, first was supposed to learn printing, second was cursive. Before first grade was over I could write better than printing and I still have a problem printing. And it seems like anybody that does printing is going slow. I know even with my poor handwriting that I can write 10 times faster in cursive than I ever could printing. I don't print on anything except bussiness documents that you have to both print and sign your name and for that I hate to use the printing part.
 
The kids with there smart phones learn keyboarding before they ever get in school now so keyboarding should not be required.
 
My daughter is an elementary school teacher. She was told not to teach cursive writing, but she does anyway and the kids love it. In fact the wife and I are their pen pals and we write back and forth all through the school year, you would be amazed at what the kids write about.
 
I take notes for files all the time- had to think about how I do it. It's kind of a "modified cursive"- I don't use the connectors all the time. Don't do the little squigglies like at the beginning of a "w", just start it like printing then cursive from there. On "with", for instance, cursive until the t. On the t, I go up and then straight down, lift the pen and cross the t and then come straight down on the h, since I'm already up there. I guess I've unconsciously made modifications to save time, over the years.

Grandkids are in grade school, all write in cursive. My daughters in law are kind of "old school"- we get handwritten thank you cards from the kids whenever we get them something or do something with them. The ones too small to write dictate it and Mom writes, but the little one "signs" it, no matter how small. Of course, like in Lake Wobeggon, they're all above average!
 
Yep.

I write notes in cursive in meetings every day. Revise them and transfer them to a computer later.
 
My thoughts: today everything is done in keyboard/computer thus little need for it. Cursive used to be penmanship and many or us make it look like a bad language!!! I think its like Old English or German and roman numerals. Just a change in society Add to the list pocket watches, leggings and knickerbockers!!!
 
My daughter-in-law's sister has Down's. She is in her early forties and is able to live by herself with supervision and can do some easy jobs but she very clearly is visibly Downs. When I first saw her cursive handwriting I was utterly shocked. It was perfect in every way. Everything about it was almost like it was typed with a cursive font. Years ago I had an old farmer neighbor who was born in 1895 who also had near perfect cursive writing. He went to country school till he was fourteen, then his schooling ended he had to stay home to help his mother. Mine leaves a lot to be desired and that is the way it always has been. Some folks have better small motor coordination than others and I ended up being one of those 'others'.
 
I just did for a note to get something at the store. Sometimes a printed letter or two shows up when I do though lol. I cant believe they don't teach it in school anymore either. Our Constitution is written in cursive....if a person cant write it how will they ever read it? Im guessing through google in 'printed' form lol. There are times I enjoy just writing. Think of how it used to be when years ago getting a pad of paper and pencil of your own was really something. Something so simple, yet mattered so much. A lot of people couldn't afford those "luxuries" at times. All that seems to have been lost now days....
 
I write cursive every day. Printing is where I have a problem. Never did like it and it never looked good. I can start printing a sentence and a few words in I look and see that I've automatically changed to cursive.
 


I can write my name yet. I was a sloppy writer in school, and when I started driving truck, no one could read my writing. I just starting printing all the stuff for work. Now I do it with each index finger. Thank goodness for computers.
 
One of my sisters does, and she takes her time to make every letter neat and measured as can be, perfectly spaced. Problem is that I can't read her writing. Best thing I can compare her writing to are those bar codes for scanners, except hers are slanted. There they are perfectly lined and neat, but I can't read bar codes either and its not just me. Christmas and Birthday cards, and I try, try, try, but I just can't read her writing. But on the lighter side, there are fonts in Microsoft Word for instance that come out as cursive writing for those that would like to, but can't. Me? I print or type everything, non-cursive.

Mark
 
From Signpainting and Graphics Coarse : the four Ss of script Slant , Stroke , Swing , Spacing. 1 slant-all letters slant on the same angle. 2 stroke- the thick strokes should be consistenly the same width and thin strokes also consistent 3 swing - the letters and words should have a swing to them with one letter flowing into the next.4 spacing - script letters generally look better with close spacing. Keep spaces between letters the same. SCRIPT WILL NEVER DIE ! At least not in hand lettering which is not dead.
 
(quoted from post at 00:53:55 12/12/15) read about schools not teaching cursive; thot it was terrible idea. Gave up on my own writing & went to printing my words 40 yrs ago. So tonite I decided to write a letter in cursive just for the novelty of it. I COULD'NT DO IT!? At first I couldn't force myself to write, just printed every letter while trying to write it! LOL. After couple paragraphs it somewhat came back to me. Can't believe I forgot how to write!! Still can't make a capital 'I' in cursive. Linking the letters is the big problem. A keyboard is my saving grace. When was the last time you wrote cursive. Try it, then be honest!
Click to expand...

After starting out my career as a draftsman, printing became second nature. Now I have a hard time writing a check....fortunately I pay most of my bills on the computer these days...
 
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