This doesn’t have anything to do with writing, but in a way, it does. Handwriting in cursive, that is. I wrote an essay on penmanship a couple of years ago and it was published in our local paper. The other day I came across an online article dealing with the same topic. Titled “Should cursive be saved?” it was posted by Kathy McManus on The Responsibility Project blog.
According to the article, there are supporters of the flowing script and those who think it’s not really needed anymore. Comments in the article: “… But others say there is zero need to save a communication form which fails to prepare students for a practical future. ‘Do people need to be able to write? Of course,’ said one online commenter, who continued, ‘Is cursive the best method? Probably not, given how few people use it on a daily basis.’”
In this day and age of texting, IPads, and PCs, I guess penmanship is fading. I’m glad I had a chance to learn it, though. What do you think?
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| Aguas Frescas |
“Great editors do not discover nor produce great authors; great authors create and produce great publishers.” – John Farrar
I think different in cursive - and incidentally I use it a lot. It's faster than printing, and you can keep doing it after your battery dies.
ReplyDeleteHowever,my penmanship is terrible. If I hadn't written it, most often, I wouldn't know what it says. Somewhere along the way I stopped being able to form all my letters consistently. So it's no longer a method of communication for me; it's for rough-drafting and notes, stuff only I need to see. When I'm taking notes at our gaming sessions, I transcribe to type so the rest of the group can read it.
Hi Peni, That's interesting that you think differently in cursive. Hmm. That's something to think about. I try to journal daily and I use a fine-tip pen because the writing flows smoothly. I do get fancy at times with my loops and curves, but I think my penmanship teacher would approve. I use my best cursive when writing Thank You or other personal notes.
ReplyDeleteHandwriting matters ... But does cursive matter?
ReplyDeleteResearch shows: the fastest and most legible handwriters avoid cursive. They join only some letters, not all of them: making the easiest joins, skipping the rest, and using print-like shapes for those letters whose cursive and printed shapes disagree. (Citation on request— and there are actually handwriting programs that teach this way.)
Reading cursive still matters -- this takes just 30 to 60 minutes to learn, and can be taught to a five- or six-year-old if the child knows how to read. The value of reading cursive is therefore no justification for writing it.
Remember, too: whatever your elementary school teacher may have been told by her elementary school teacher, cursive signatures have no special legal validity over signatures written in any other way. (Don't take my word for this: talk to any attorney.)
Yours for better letters,
Kate Gladstone — CEO, Handwriting Repair/Handwriting That Works
Director, the World Handwriting Contest
Co-Designer, BETTER LETTERS handwriting trainer app for iPhone/iPad
http://www.HandwritingThatWorks.com
Hi Ms. Gladstone,
ReplyDeleteHandwriting Repair - that is too cool. Enjoyed your comments. I followed your link and found it most interesting. Thanks.
This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is very nice one and gives in-depth information. Thanks for this nice article.
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Handwriting repair
You are so welcome, Isha. When I do booksignings, people comment on my nice handwriting. Glad I learned cursive and penmanship. Have a great day!
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ReplyDeleteThank you, Anon. Appreciate your comment.
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