Schools no longer teaching cursive writing

[Nic1107]

I remember when we started learning cursive in third grade, so it was kind of a surprise to me when I realized that my 11-year-old SIL didn't know how to write in cursive. I asked her if her school taught it and she said no! Apparently schools across the nation- and possibly internationally- are dropping cursive from the curriculum because it's 'not necessary'.

I know (and lament) the fact that nearly everything is typed rather than written these days, but surely deeming handwriting 'unnecessary' won't help the problems kids these days are said to have with writing their letters! I learned how to type and write in school and am quite proficient in both. When we went to open Carmen's bank account yesterday, the banker joked that Carmen will have to be a bit older before she's able to sign her social security card- but if I don't teach her cursive writing myself (and if they don't at school you bet your arse I will!), would she even be able to sign her name? Do they at least teach kids to write their own signatures?!

Uhh... anyway it's pretty obvious where I stand on the issue, but how do you feel about it? Is cursive writing obselete and a waste of lesson time, or are the schools wrong for dropping it?

 

[amygwen]

I personally think it's a waste of time. I learned cursive when I was in the third grade and we spent a lot of time learning it, it also helped with writing skills though. But, I never use cursive and I don't think I'll ever write in cursive which is why I don't think it's that big of a deal. But I do agree with learning how to write letters and keeping that up so they can learn how to properly write and what not, but cursive, nooooo.

 

[Nic1107]

Maybe I'm odd because I always use cursive. I'm too lazy to keep lifting my hand off the paper!

 

[amygwen]

Haha yeah, I find myself doing that too. but it doesn't look anything like cursive!! lol, just messy handwriting. You're not odd though, all of the women co-workers I have all write in cursive! There's loads of people!!

 

[Nic1107]

I write in a weird combination of cursive and print; all my capitals are in print because I hate the way they look in cursive. lol

 

[BlackBerry25]

I moved to Alberta hlafway through grade 2, and they had already learned it. I had no idea what the heck cursive was, so I had to stay in at lunch break and practice.

Still don't know how to do it and I have NEVER had to use it, so I think I would rather have the time spent on something actually useful.

Even math at school, maybe they should teach kids about taxes and mortgages, etc.

 

[kiwimama]

I don't think learning cursive is necessary. I'd much rather my kids were taught such things as budgeting, saving, how to get into your first home etc. These things I was never taught in school and have had to try and learn them when I left home and started to make it on my own.

 

[Nic1107]

I agree with teaching kids life skills and money sense, although more in the high school curriculum rather than for younger kids. Maybe it's just me being old and set in my ways wanting the schools to stay how they were when I was young, lol.

 

[redpoppy]

I can't believe we were taught it. I assumed it was something i just knew. i thought teacher one day said "and now join it up".

 

[lulu61388]

i think it is a waste of time, i see hundreds and hundreds of signatures a week and hardly anybody uses cursive to actually sign their name. most people just do a few scribbles and call it a day.

 

[summer rain]

Over here they keep changing their mind on it; at the moment they are expecting kids to have really beautiful cursive writing at the age of 6 or 7 but the curriculum doesn't seem to have any capacity for teaching them how to do so, the whole English curriculum over here is ridiculous now, every single aspect of English is supposed to be taught in great detail even to young primary school kids but the teachers just cannot keep up. Also humanities subjects are on the backburner; history and geography are no longer part of the curriculum until 8 years old and even many of the books for 8-11 have been discontinued; I think in the next few years the government will knock those subjects out of the curriculum altogether. My LOs are homeschooled and while we do cover handwriting, its not the be all and end all.

 

[OmarsMum]

I write in a weird combination of cursive and print; all my capitals are in print because I hate the way they look in cursive. lol

loooool I'm the same. I love cursive writing esp when I sign my name.

 

[SKATERBUN]

I prefer cursive it looks more arty and grown up, I'll teach my own LO if they dont teach it in our schools in the UK

 

[bky]

I feel like we spent sooo much time on it when I was in school. I remember working on it in 3rd and 4th grade, dealing with that lined paper, getting in trouble for not being clear. Ugh. It always took me longer to write in cursive because I had to focus more on making the letters clear than I did with regular writing.
I now write in some awful mixed version of lowercase, uppercase and cursive, but it doesn't matter because if I need to be clear I type (or write in block caps).

I do think there should be focus on clear handwriting, especially as typing/using a keypad is becoming more common. My OH has horrible horrible handwriting and I think it's linked to how much he has used alternate means of putting letters down (computer, phone etc). However, I don't find cursive more clear at all.

 

[Nic1107]

i think it is a waste of time, i see hundreds and hundreds of signatures a week and hardly anybody uses cursive to actually sign their name. most people just do a few scribbles and call it a day.

I used to sign my name in proper cursive, legible and all... but then I started practicing a messy signature with one big first letter and the rest all a scribble because it looks more like an autograph that way.

 

[Pixxie]

I went to private school until I was 10 and we had to learn cursive there but not in public school. It was just another lesson, they called it Handwriting and we did it for an hour every morning. When I went to public school and was writing in cursive my teacher was gobsmacked but my handwriting was much nicer than anyone elses

I think it looks better, I see such awful handwriting off my younger brothers it makes me shudder. If they don't teach it to our kids at school I will teach it to them myself xxx

 

[PeanutBean]

Probably I'm stupid but what is cursive writing? Is it joined up writing? I always write joined up and we were taught something or other about it in juniors but I write the way I write and it is mostly illegible and I like it that way! lol I'd like to write beautifully but I do feel that handwriting is personality driven so it's nice for people not to have to do it the same way but do it a it natural to them.

 

[OmarsMum]

i think it is a waste of time, i see hundreds and hundreds of signatures a week and hardly anybody uses cursive to actually sign their name. most people just do a few scribbles and call it a day.

I used to sign my name in proper cursive, legible and all... but then I started practicing a messy signature with one big first letter and the rest all a scribble because it looks more like an autograph that way.

I do the same!

 

[indy and lara]

I taught cursive for years then moved schools and they used another style of joined writing. Research shows that cursive can help with teaching of spelling, especially with kinesthetic learners who 'feel' how the word should be written. I think we should teach a style of fluent writing in schools. Parents however often to struggle to understand when you are talking about their child's writing that you mean their story/ functional writing, not their handwriting.

 

[redpoppy]

Probably I'm stupid but what is cursive writing? Is it joined up writing? I always write joined up and we were taught something or other about it in juniors but I write the way I write and it is mostly illegible and I like it that way! lol I'd like to write beautifully but I do feel that handwriting is personality driven so it's nice for people not to have to do it the same way but do it a it natural to them.

I totally agree! And yes it is joined up.

I used to win handwriting prizes in primary school and I played around with different handwriting styles in terms of slant, long and thin, shorta dn fat, round and curly etc. and then I just let things "flow". It's far messier now but it feels so freeeeeee. as long as it's readable.