Do you think it is important to know how to read/write cursive?

[Anonymous]

Have two kids in their twenties. One can read it pretty well and write it a little. Other can read it, sort of. Both are college graduates. The one who can read it is exceptionally smart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh yeah!

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/04/30/should-schools-require-children-to-learn-cursive/the-benefits-of-cursive-go-beyond-writing

The writer makes her living teaching kids to write cursive. Not exactly an unbiased opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is because when you send someone a handwritten note, like a "Thank You" card or something, it looks nicer if your writing in cursive and your cursive is pretty.

+1 and "yes" to both of OP's questions. Are there people who really don't know how to read or write cursive??? I'm 42 & write all my notes in cursive. It's much quicker (& prettier) than printing.

Well, I'm 52 and will freely admit that I don't actually remember how to make some of the more obscure letters (Q, Z, uppercase F, uppercase K) is cursive. If I'm forced to use cursive I sort of wing it!

[Anonymous]

I use cursive daily ( healthcare). I will teach it to my children at home if they do not learn it in school.

[Anonymous]

yes
And that's why my daughter knows it from private school, and my son, who's in public, will learn it from his OT.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201303/what-learning-cursive-does-your-brain

"Yet scientists are discovering that learning cursive is an important tool for cognitive development, particularly in training the brain to learn “functional specialization,”[2] that is capacity for optimal efficiency. In the case of learning cursive writing, the brain develops functional specialization that integrates both sensation, movement control, and thinking. Brain imaging studies reveal that multiple areas of brain become co-activated during learning of cursive writing of pseudo-letters, as opposed to typing or just visual practice."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask a speech and language pathologist. There is a direct connection with the fluid motion of cursive and articulation disorders.

uh huh!

And my son, who worked with an SLP, is now working with his OT who WILL teach him cursive!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yes
And that's why my daughter knows it from private school, and my son, who's in public, will learn it from his OT.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201303/what-learning-cursive-does-your-brain

"Yet scientists are discovering that learning cursive is an important tool for cognitive development, particularly in training the brain to learn “functional specialization,”[2] that is capacity for optimal efficiency. In the case of learning cursive writing, the brain develops functional specialization that integrates both sensation, movement control, and thinking. Brain imaging studies reveal that multiple areas of brain become co-activated during learning of cursive writing of pseudo-letters, as opposed to typing or just visual practice."

+1000

I taught my child cursive and now my child prefers cursive. This was the kid who hated writing years ago.

The only reason we are having this conversation about cursive is because schools have dropped the ball when ot comes to educating our kids in many cases. Many schools have dispensed with teaching cursive, history, geography, spelling, grammar, math facts, math operations, and phonics or only give lip service to these fundamentals. It is a tragedy in my opinion and we are hurting our kids by not giving them a firm foundation.

[Anonymous]

You know, my mother knew how to write shorthand. I never learned. Is that a travesty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yes
And that's why my daughter knows it from private school, and my son, who's in public, will learn it from his OT.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201303/what-learning-cursive-does-your-brain

"Yet scientists are discovering that learning cursive is an important tool for cognitive development, particularly in training the brain to learn “functional specialization,”[2] that is capacity for optimal efficiency. In the case of learning cursive writing, the brain develops functional specialization that integrates both sensation, movement control, and thinking. Brain imaging studies reveal that multiple areas of brain become co-activated during learning of cursive writing of pseudo-letters, as opposed to typing or just visual practice."

Learning cursive is necessary for the human brain to operate at optimal efficiency?

Has somebody told the author of that Psychology Today piece that human beings evolved around 100,000 years ago and that there wasn't actually a lot of cursive-writing taking place on the savannah?

[Anonymous]

I think cursive is "nice to have" skill. However, I think that whoever wrote that article is on a par with the SLEEP people.

[Anonymous]

I learned cursive in Soviet Union and can write fairly fast.Always wondered why classmates here are asking the teacher to repeat the sentence over and over again-they are writing slowly as if they were in 1st grade.
Not a big deal if you can't write cursive, but it's not like it's hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think cursive will eventually become obsolete, just like shorthand and morse code are.

So, no, it's not an important skill to retain, IMO.

I agree that it will eventually become obsolete, but it's not obsolete yet, so learning how to read it makes sense.

There are lots of things I learned, and used, and now no longer need. Like programming a VCR, or reading a "triptik" from AAA. They served their purpose at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think cursive is about as relevant today as pig latin.

I'm mystified by this position. Once learned, cursive makes writing much more fluid for children. In many cases, it allows their writing to actually keep pace with their thoughts. Do your children slowly block print every sentence, paragraph, and essay they write in class throughout their school years? Or perhaps your elementary or middle school issues laptops to all children to use throughout the school day? (If so, I would like to hear about it.) Or is it that perhaps your children don't actually write anything during the school day? (Scary proposition.)

[Anonymous]

My son struggled with handwriting. OT said he would be okay when he learned cursive--but they never taught it. However, he learned very early to keyboard. He is grown now and writes 90+ words/minute.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who is a historian. She says it's very ironic that soon we will be a country that cannot even read the documents that provide us with our basic liberties.

I write nearly everything in cursive and my children read and write it in school. It's faster and helps my hand keep up with my brain. I have a snotty woman in my office who holds herself above the rest of us. I take perverse enjoyment that she can't read it so I write every post-it note or message to her in script just to make her ask someone for help reading it. Personal pleasure in the little things!