what I mean by "fine" is that my handwriting is perfectly legible.

My son can't read my handwriting (which is fine). He can't even read his step-mom's handwriting (which is lovely). Bugs me. Bugs him.

I only leave him notes in cursive now.

Yes, it is VERY important. Just another part of the dumbing down of our society.

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."

It's obviously not foolproof. All the PPs discussing how learning cursive improves brain development didn't fully comprehend the question asked in the OP - is it "important to KNOW how to read/write cursive?" Answer - no, it isn't. By the time today's elementary school kids are in the workforce, or even college, cursive will be seen as an archaic affectation along the lines calligraphy, needed for wedding invitations and to decipher Grandma's old journals.

Whether it is important to LEARN cursive, because of the concomitant benefits in brain development is another question entirely - one the OP didn't ask. Personally, I think reading comprehension is much more important than proficiency in cursive writing. Opinions vary, of course.

Anonymous wrote:Wow! I didn't even know this was a thing. I will teach my 4 y.o. cursive myself or get a tutor. The brain thing is a bonus, I guess, if it's true, but I think it's important on its own. Some things, like memorizing poetry and learning to behave in church I consider to be part of being part of a civilized society. Cursive, too.

My son's OT told me about the brain/hand connection. Studies support the notion that information is processed and retained better via handwriting than via keyboarding.

Anonymous wrote:

What would you do if you have to capture a whole lot of written information in a very short amount of time, but don't have anything with a keyboard? The person who knows cursive would have no problem. The person doing block printing would only get half of it. Cursive is much faster than block writing.

Depends on whether you know how to take notes properly. If you are one of those who need to write every word, I guess it is a problem. For those who know how to pick out key pieces of information, not so much.

I am 52yo and never learned cursive properly. I can and do, however, write in script very quickly and easily and I'm a great note-taker. So no problem here.

Wow! I didn't even know this was a thing. I will teach my 4 y.o. cursive myself or get a tutor. The brain thing is a bonus, I guess, if it's true, but I think it's important on its own. Some things, like memorizing poetry and learning to behave in church I consider to be part of being part of a civilized society. Cursive, too.

What would you do if you have to capture a whole lot of written information in a very short amount of time, but don't have anything with a keyboard? The person who knows cursive would have no problem. The person doing block printing would only get half of it. Cursive is much faster than block writing.

Depends on whether you know how to take notes properly. If you are one of those who need to write every word, I guess it is a problem. For those who know how to pick out key pieces of information, not so much.

Anonymous wrote:What would you do if you have to capture a whole lot of written information in a very short amount of time, but don't have anything with a keyboard? The person who knows cursive would have no problem. The person doing block printing would only get half of it. Cursive is much faster than block writing.

I would print. In fact, I do print. Printing has worked for me through high school, a bachelor's degree, two masters degrees, a doctoral degree, and secretarial work as a temp.

What would you do if you have to capture a whole lot of written information in a very short amount of time, but don't have anything with a keyboard? The person who knows cursive would have no problem. The person doing block printing would only get half of it. Cursive is much faster than block writing.

Anonymous wrote:
You sound like all those news anchors who were appalled that the witness in the Martin case couldn't read cursive. That is typical of kids her age--has nothing to do with race.

Actually just 30 years ago or so it was not typical at all. Students were taught to be proficient in cursive which is great tool for learning and taking quick notes in class. it also helps students to learn how to focus.

See also

http://www.oakmeadow.com/newsletter/2012-hardwired-for-writing.php

The act of writing with one's hand contributes to the learning process. For this reason, it is more effective to study via writing notes by hand than by keyboard.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119095458.htm

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

http://davidsortino.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/10221/brain-research-and-cursive-writing/

http://techland.time.com/2013/07/10/the-dying-art-of-handwriting/

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!

You sound like all those news anchors who were appalled that the witness in the Martin case couldn't read cursive. That is typical of kids her age--has nothing to do with race.

Anonymous wrote: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.

What's ironic about this, exactly?

Do you know that the founding documents exist in printed form? Here's the Declaration of Independence, for example, as printed by July 6, 1776:

http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/creatingtheus/DeclarationofIndependence/BattleJoined/ExhibitObjects/FirstPrintedVersionofDeclarationofIndependence.aspx

And do you know that the handwriting people used in the 18th century is not the cursive people teach (or used to teach) in schools today? Here's an online tutorial to teach you how to read the handwriting people used in the 18th century:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography/

And do you know that not being able to read historical documents is not some crazy failure of the school system that is unique to the US?

In Germany, for example, people born after World War II pretty much can't read anything handwritten before World War II (see here for an example of pre-World War II handwriting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:S%C3%BCtterlin.svg ).

And in Turkey, people can't read historical documents from the Ottoman Empire, because they are in Turkish written in a version of the Arabic alphabet, and since 1929 Turkish has been written in a version of the Latin alphabet.

Historical change -- it happens.