# Will Cursive Writing Survive?



## Capt Worley PE (Nov 18, 2009)

> Columbia (WLTX) - Many might say cursive writing is going out of style, but still some parents fear it isn't emphasized enough or even at all in school anymore.
> It's not the case in 3rd grade teacher Linda Rose's room. If penmanship and cursive writing has ever excited a class, her's is the one.
> 
> "I love it because it's fun. It's just fun," said 3rd grader at Coughman Road Elementary Lauryn Lacewell with a smile.
> ...


More: http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=80929#comments


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## DVINNY (Nov 18, 2009)

Cursive is F'in stupid.

Period.


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## DVINNY (Nov 18, 2009)

[SIZE=12pt]Do you see what I am saying? No need for this crap.  [/SIZE]


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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 18, 2009)

My cursive sucks. Always has.


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## MechGuy (Nov 18, 2009)

Cursive should go out of style and never be taught again. Who writes anything in cursive anymore? Is it important to teach this style of writing just for your signature? People don't even use checks any more, and no one wants my autograph. My signature is just a bunch of scribbles anyway....


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## csb (Nov 18, 2009)

The Air Force ruined my dad's ability to write anything in cursive. I remember when he'd write a note for school and it would be all print and think it was odd.

I use cursive sometimes, but it mostly serves to make me feel like a third grader. I remember in third grade thinking it was going to be SUPER AWESOME COOL to know cursive because it was something adults knew how to do.


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## snickerd3 (Nov 18, 2009)

i hate writing in cursive, not that my printing is legible either


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## TouchDown (Nov 18, 2009)

I've always gotten poor penmanship grades - unless it's printed out. My cursive has some print characters in it, don't know why, they just were. I write in a mix - but if it's something that's going to be read by someone else, I usually print it (ie cards, letters, etc.). If it's my tech notebook that only I use, then I just write it out in cursive/print mix and it's just faster to record that way. My signature went from being able to read it in "cursive" to maybe recognizing the first character on each name and a squiggle. I sign so much crap that I don't take time anymore.

My kindergardner is EXCITED about the possibilities of cursive. OF course she spells "this" as "dis" right now, so who knows. And "you" as "uoo". it's cute.


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## Santiagj (Nov 18, 2009)

I write in all print all caps. It makes it easier to read for everybody. I picked it up after a couple of years working at my job now. We do a lot of detailing and I would check/redline drawings. So it kinda stuck.

Don't all of us need to know basic cursive just for a unique signature? Unless we go down the biometric identification path.

I guess I could stamp a drawing and smear a little blood over it. Then date it.


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## Flyer_PE (Nov 18, 2009)

My handwriting sucks. Thank God for keyboards.


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## roadwreck (Nov 18, 2009)

Santiagj said:


> I guess I could stamp a drawing and smear a little blood over it. Then date it.


Whoa! I really like that idea. The person at the register at the grocery store next week isn't going to know what to think.

But I don't think I fit all that on the little strip of space they give me on the back of my credit cards. :\


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## Ble_PE (Nov 18, 2009)

I remember being so pumped to learn cursive as a kid, and now the only time I use it is when I'm making notes for myself since it's faster. I mostly write in print with all capitals now, just like Santiagj.


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## Shaggy (Nov 18, 2009)

I agree with Santiagi, I write in all caps as well. Or at least smaller caps for the lower case letters. I am in favor of not only getting rid of cursive, but lower case as well... at least for handwriting.


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## Santiagj (Nov 18, 2009)

Writing Standardization!

Lets face it... All engineers end up writing in all caps sooner or later due to the business of checking drawings. So why not give in and pick it up early?

Now I can write myself notes when I'm totally Sh!t faced and be able to read them in the morning.

We should start a poll to see what percentage of engineers write in all caps.


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## buick455 (Nov 18, 2009)

I stopped writing in 1986 when I went back to College for my ME degree as I could not read my writing so I started printing all my notes and have been printing ever sense. That was also before spell check, word, e-mail, etc. I remember being at work thinking it be great for a software to spell check a document as my spelling sucks.


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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 18, 2009)

Santiagj said:


> I write in all print all caps. It makes it easier to read for everybody.


Yeah, me too.



> Don't all of us need to know basic cursive just for a unique signature?


You could do this:

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_colum...revolution.html


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## DVINNY (Nov 18, 2009)

Santiagj said:


> I write in all print all caps.


X2



Santiagj said:


> We should start a poll to see what percentage of engineers write in all caps.


I BET ALOT OF US DO IT.


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## MA_PE (Nov 18, 2009)

On a serious note. Cursive writing is one of those things like art or literature. It's a classic that young developing minds should expereince. For grade school kids it demands a level of dexterity and requires use of the mind to try to make the best / neatest writing.

I don't use much of the poetry and classical literature that I was exposed to in school, either. Does that mean it should be dropped from the curriculum?

How about math multipication tables? Virtually every electronic gizmo available has a calculator function. Why bother memorizing the stupid tables?

My speed writing is a mix of printing and cursive. As a rule, I do not use all capitals.


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## DVINNY (Nov 18, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> I don't use much of the poetry and classical literature that I was exposed to in school, either. Does that mean it should be dropped from the curriculum?


Yes, It should be dropped. We have enough weeny-like artsy fartsy acedemia's running around already.


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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 18, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> I don't use much of the poetry and classical literature that I was exposed to in school, either. Does that mean it should be dropped from the curriculum?


I thik it should be replaced with contemporary literature. That tired old crud really turns a lot of kids off from reading. I LOVE to read and I could barely slog thru Silly Ass Mariner (Silas marner) and Great Expectorations.

There's a lot of cool books for kids out there. I'm with DV...save the artsy stuff for college if you decide to go that path.


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## z06dustin (Nov 18, 2009)

i use cursive from time to time, typically when working on a car and busting a kuckle. just slips out.


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## MechGuy (Nov 18, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> On a serious note. Cursive writing is one of those things like art or literature. It's a classic that young developing minds should expereince. For grade school kids it demands a level of dexterity and requires use of the mind to try to make the best / neatest writing.
> I don't use much of the poetry and classical literature that I was exposed to in school, either. Does that mean it should be dropped from the curriculum?
> 
> How about math multipication tables? Virtually every electronic gizmo available has a calculator function. Why bother memorizing the stupid tables?
> ...



I print in all caps myself too. I remember my dad writing that way when I was a kid, so I kind of picked it up from him.

I don't think you can compare learning cursive writing to learning about classical art or literature, or music for that matter. Learning and experiencing classical art and literature makes you a well-rounded, more educated person. Learning cursive does not. I don't think it would be missed if no one ever wrote in cursive again.


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## TXCoogPE (Nov 18, 2009)

I have begun to wonder if cursive writing is going to go the way of calligraphy. I was assisting at a booth this weekend and one of the items we were showing was a calligraphy pen and some ink. I wasn't too surprised when kids didn't have a clue what they were, but even some of their parents seemed a bit lost until we reminded they what calligraphy looked like.


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## FLBuff PE (Nov 18, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I thik it should be replaced with contemporary literature. That tired old crud really turns a lot of kids off from reading. I LOVE to read and I could barely slog thru Silly Ass Mariner (Silas marner) and Great Expectorations.
> There's a lot of cool books for kids out there. I'm with DV...save the artsy stuff for college if you decide to go that path.


I rather enjoyed _The Sale of Two Titties_ by Darles Chickens, myself.


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## MA_PE (Nov 18, 2009)

MechGuy said:


> I print in all caps myself too. I remember my dad writing that way when I was a kid, so I kind of picked it up from him.
> I don't think you can compare learning cursive writing to learning about classical art or literature, or music for that matter. Learning and experiencing classical art and literature makes you a well-rounded, more educated person. Learning cursive does not. I don't think it would be missed if no one ever wrote in cursive again.


Given time I don't think Shakespeare, Dante, Mozart, etc. would be missed either.

Have you ever watched Idiocracy?

Ow my balls!! now that's a cool show!


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## Capt Worley PE (Nov 18, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> Given time I don't think Shakespeare, Dante, Mozart, etc. would be missed either.


I don't miss Shakespeare, Dante, or Mozart now. Aside from Dante, I think they were highly over-rated (and he wasn't that great either).


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## csb (Nov 18, 2009)

I write in legible cursive if I'm taking notes or writing for a long time. It's simply faster.

Interesting thought on if you never use it, do you need to learn it. We had this talk in college calculus. Now that I'm away from it, I'd state that people still need to learn how to do basic math in their heads or with pencil and paper, but I'm not so sure about the advanced stuff. I escaped ever really having to learn an integral table because I had a TI-89 and I'd be hard pressed to provide an example where I would need to use the tables. I chose civil engineering to avoid those kind of things.


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## Supe (Nov 19, 2009)

All caps here. Been that way since I took my first engineering class, and a MUCH needed change since my handwriting had always been illegible otherwise. Personally, I'd also like to see hand-written lower case letters done away with outside of an equation, but not in the overall scheme of things. I COULDN'T BARE TO READ ALL CAPS ON THE INTERNET FOR THE REST OF MY DAYS. I COULDN'T TOLERATE THAT LEVEL OF SHOUTING ALL THE TIME.


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## MA_PE (Nov 19, 2009)

By eliminating lower case letters you lose the ability to add that emotion to written statements. CAPS ADD EMPHASIS!


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## Supe (Nov 19, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> By eliminating lower case letters you lose the ability to add that emotion to written statements. CAPS ADD EMPHASIS!


I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN I CAN PURVEY THAT EMOTION IN [SIZE=36pt]*SEVERAL OTHER WAYS.*[/SIZE]


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## MA_PE (Nov 19, 2009)

*Emphasis* does not necessarily have to be obnoxious.


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## DVINNY (Nov 21, 2009)

Truthfully, there are many other stupid things about the English language that I think needs changed before cursive. I can see why cursive is around (faster handwriting) but with laptops, etc. most can type faster than they can write out long papers with a pen. JMO.


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## Supe (Nov 21, 2009)

DVINNY said:


> Truthfully, there are many other stupid things about the English language that I think needs changed before cursive. I can see why cursive is around (faster handwriting) but with laptops, etc. most can type faster than they can write out long papers with a pen. JMO.



Not to mention there are maybe a handful of teachers in the US who will even accept hand-written papers anymore.


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## benbo (Nov 21, 2009)

Over time I've lost the ability to really write anything out by hand. My cursive is completely illegible - all the words turn into one letter followed by a stream of goop that turns into a line. My printed writing is not much better. I'm left handed, and I have a theory that it's harder for us to write. We always seems to curve our arms around and write from above the paper.

As far as Shakespeare, poetry, Mozart, or arithmetic - I still think there's value in those things, at least to a certain extent.

And Calculus, maybe I'm weird, but I remember there have been several times in various situations I have used the fact that calculating when the derivative is zero can give you a max or min. I can't remember exactly when I used it, but I have.


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## Flyer_PE (Nov 21, 2009)

As far as arithmetic goes, if you can't do at least some of the math in your head, how do you know when the number either your calculator or your modeling software give you back is garbage?


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## Dleg (Nov 26, 2009)

I'll depart from the rest of you and say that cursive should still be taught to school children. Everyone needs to learn how to write and everyone benefits from the discipline exercised in learning a motor-function skill like that. Think Bart Simpson at the blackboard. There's a reason teachers assign repetitive work like that. Just like there is a reason drill sergeants order multiple pushups every day. Practice builds ability. Besides, it is faster than print writing, and that comes in handy later when you're taking notes.

I personally cannot write in cursive anymore (I tried over the last few years while helping my daughter with her homework) but my note-taking print uses several techniques from cursive writing that makes it lightning-fast (and utterly illegible to anyone but me). I, too, write in all-caps when I am trying to communicate with someone, though.


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