It wasn’t very long ago that learning all of the loops and curves of cursive was a required part of any good second or third grade writing curriculum. Students would spend many pain-staking hours practicing on worksheets and specially ruled papers, all the while being reminded that their success was dependent upon it, since cursive was what was used in the adult world.
Is there any reason to continue teaching cursive today? Some parents and teachers are now beginning to wonder. There are two sides to every argument but this one hasn’t been decided just yet. It also isn’t clear whether homeschoolers will follow suit.
On the one hand, cursive is generally easier to learn than the rigid ball-and-stick lettering of manuscript print. Once mastered, the smooth movements and blending of cursive letters makes it quicker to write, too. Because of this, writing in cursive is believed to increase learning since the focus on the process is removed and students are more able to concentrate on the content itself. Cursive writing is also thought to help reading, since blending written letters helps to reinforce the blending of common sounds and patterns found while reading.
As a matter of fact, staunch cursive supporters actually believe it should be taught first, rather than after manuscript printing, when certain writing and pencil-holding habits that are difficult to break have already been established.
On the other hand, the widespread use of computers and word-processing software has caused some to wonder if anyone needs cursive any more at all. For students in schools as well as adults in the modern workplace, handwritten work is no longer very acceptable. Anything of real importance, like a term paper, an annual report, or a letter to a teacher or client, is expected to be typed, not handwritten.
The argument from teachers is that teaching all of the new topics and meeting new standards makes it impossible to find time for cursive instruction during the day. In lieu of learning cursive, today’s students learn to use technology and conduct Internet research among other things, areas thought to be of greater value than developing ones own personal style of writing or developing an artistic signature.
Further, those in favor of pushing cursive aside believe that most people eventually develop some hybrid of manuscript and cursive altogether on their own, and don’t always stick entirely to either method anyway, no matter what level of instruction they may have had in school. Besides, it isn’t all that hard to come up with a signature, even if that remains one of the important reasons for learning cursive today.
Homeschoolers can find many ways to teach manuscript printing, cursive handwriting, and hybrids like italics and other cross-overs, in books and materials found on web sites and in school supply stores. It will be interesting to follow this debate to see whether cursive is eventually re-discovered as an art form or abolished completely in favor of typing and texting skills.
[This article originally appeared HERE.]
Amber Kline says
My son has been educated to this point with a mixture of charter and homeschooling and is now in 7th grade. I was surprised when he came to me when he was about 9 and told me that he wanted to learn cursive writing. He had learned it in school, but was a subject that they only covered for a couple of weeks and moved on. Although he doesn’t use it on a daily basis, it at least is something that he has been able to explore and has spurred interest in other areas. For him, cursive writing was an artistic gateway that has led to Calligraphy and learning different Japanese writing styles.
Krysten says
I think that kids at least need to know how to read cursive. We still get letters from grandparents and they write in cursive.
On the SAT there is an essay portion now, and it’s timed. Seems that cursive would save valuable time for the test.
I also saw a PBS special on war. They had real letters from soldiers sent to their families from WWI all the way through Vietnam. The penmanship of the WWI soldiers was impeccable! Vietnam soldiers hardly legible. I’m not sure where I’m going with this, other than I think it would be a shame to lose this art.
I find that it only takes 10 min. a day to practice and so it’s worth them to know the skill. How they choose to write in the future is up to them.
Tori says
I will teach my children cursive partially because my children desire to learn it. Mostly, though, I believe that there is more to be lost than simply a way of writing if we do not teach cursive. Our forefathers had amazingly beautiful penmanship. They also had amazing, even profound, minds. Could the two be at all connected? It is my belief that they are intrinsically so… even if by a filament, the time spent in learning to create beauty in any number of forms is of tremendous import and is deserving of the investment… at least to this homeschooling Mama’s philosophy of life and education.