Should cursive handwriting be taught in school?

[msc545]

And if so, why? Why waste valuable instructional time on such a useless skill?

[Screenwriter]

It seems that children's hand-eye coordination is enhanced through cursive writing. Helps with memory and learning. Texting and printing don't involve the hand-eye-brain connections that cursive does.

Teaching music, art, dancing and phys ed probably are also considered time wasters. But music, art, dancing and phys ed teach balance, body coordination; music is well known to boost learning, as do art and dancing and all of these "useless" skills enhance and beautify life.

IT's not only about math, English and passing tests. School should have fun and challenges beyond "basics." Means school is less confining and boring for children. Works the brain harder. Nothing about that seems to be a waste of time.

[msc545]

Sorry, but learning cursive has nothin to do with eye-hand coordination, and it is NOT fun.

[Screenwriter]

Yes it does. You should read up about that. It's been studied for quite a while.

[msc545]

I'm a neuropsychologist. I know more about this than you do.

[Screenwriter]

www.psychologytoday.com/.../why-cursive-handwriting-is-good-your-brain Some other neuroscientists disagree.

[msc545]

You should stop reading Psychology Today. It's not a reliable source of anything.

[Apulu_backagain]

I learnt cursive in pre school and it stayed with me.

Besides learning cursive is easier than the block letters especially because you pronounce the letters as they sound in words.

Like in cursive you pronounce E letter as 'eh' not 'E'. at least that's what they did in pre school.

And cursive helps me write faster and elegantly. I don't regret having this skill. And to be honest it might just be a reason why I enjoy writing and am writing books. Helps me keep school notes.

I think it should be taught in all pre schools.

[msc545]

The thing is that instructional time is generally very limited in most schools. Spending it on something useless like cursive is not a good use of available time at all. I'm glad that you had a good experience with learning cursive, but most of us did not.

[Apulu_backagain]

That's why I said pre school. Pre school is all about instructions and learning things.

[Chazmatazz269]

Writing by hand engages different parts of the brain than typing, particularly in cursive. It taps into creativity center and strengthens the abstract perception abilities. It’s also an early opportunity to teach kids the value of craftsmanship. Not just doing something, but doing it well. Not just creating something, but creating something beautiful. There’s value in those things.

[Sevenpointfive]

i learned in second grade. we were doing fractions, palindromes and how to brush our teeth properly. i think kids need to be taught at a faster pace. we need to get rid of the daycare aspect of school. learning can be fun. i probably played heads up 7 up 1000 times that year.

[Sevenpointfive]

everyone's going to have to sign their name with an X and it's going to be really confusing!

[msc545]

No, I think the isolated task of citing one's name could be learned quickly and easily. Expanding that into a curriculum concerning cursive writing is not necessary.

[Sevenpointfive]

it's going to be difficult for women having to learn late in life how to sign a new last name. i think it might be too much to ask of someone so old and done with learning?

[Sevenpointfive]

Also, it has it's uses in other ways. Forensics, identification and it's kind of like learning a new language even if it's not used anymore. That way they can read it and understand it. I don't think it took very long to learn it either. i don't recall that we spent much time on it because it was so easy? I think one month dedicated to it would be good. Would that be a good compromise?

[Telekinetic-Potato]

No, it's not legible, doesn't have a place in the world ever since typewriters were mass produced.

[slatyb]

No, that's a waste of precious instructional time. It's not a useful skill. No one wants to read that, except perhaps in a romance. It's not even faster than manuscript (separated lettering). All the arguments for teaching cursive apply equally to an art class, far more useful.

[RandomGirl42]

Ty for inviting me to share. Why not? It's a good skill to know if the power goes out and you want to read/write something old by candlelight. And I don't recall it being a big deal or taking much time back when we were in school. By 2nd grade it was old news. 🤷‍♀️

[AviatorTom]

Yes it should be taught. It's not useless. It's required for a legal signature on a paper document. Note everyone use e-signatures or an autopsy. It's also important to be able to read historical documents, many of which we written in cursive.

Having said that, it's not necessary to make children 100% proficient, but they should be able to write their name and read cursive text.

[Twalli]

It used to be important, because you needed to sign things. Now you can electronically sign things, making it mostly a lost art. My sister and I learned it. I know my girlfriend's nephews didn't, and I don't know about her nieces or cousins. I'm pretty sure her step nephews are illiterate. Handwriting and reading are becoming less important, and this could be dangerous once those that learned it are dead and gone.

[msc545]

I think reading is extremely important, actually, as a survival skill. Cursive handwriting is most certainly not.

[Twalli]

Reading is more important than handwriting, but fewer and fewer people are learning either.

[msc545]

Reading is a survival skill.

[RavVid]

I don't see much point in it. It is no longer an important skill.

In fact my hand hurts after a written exam.

[Apple1996]

To at least learn how to write their signature yeah

[msc545]

Why bother? What's the point? It's just a waste of time.

[Apple1996]

Just a extra skill to learn. Schools force kids to take art, music, band. All things that aren't necessary for school but still fun to learn

[Apple1996]

Cursive is kind of a art in a way

[msc545]

Where I live, we don't have art, music, or band in our school anymore because the schools don't want to pay for it. We just have straight up academics. That's not necessarily bad, but I also think it's not necessarily good because I think the kids get bored and angry about this. Some of them still remember having art, music, and band when they were younger and they don't have it anymore. Making them learn how to do cursive writing is just another chore they don't need.

[goaded]

Isn't it something you learn when you are very young? What would you replace it with, calculus?

It teaches fine motor control and hand-eye coordination, so it has its points.

[msc545]

Fine motor control and eye-hand-eye coordination are not taught. They are inherent functions of your cerebellum, and it either works right or it doesn't. I would replace cursive handwriting with good courses in reading.

[CaptainSmartass]

Nope. All that matters is that kids can write legibly. Teaching joined-up writing (as they called it at school) is just a waste of time.

Simples...

[thegreenyogi]

Why not? I was forced by teachers to change my handwriting 3 times when I was a kid.

[msc545]

Well, that couldn't have been a good thing.

[Kelley1]

In addition to being able to write faster cursive handwriting stimulates brain activity, and helps to develop motor skills and dexterity.

[msc545]

No, actually it doesn't do any of those things. You just think it does.

[Ariesman81]

Useless? Like being able to read the constitution?

[On_cloud_wine]

I’m glad I lived in an era where it was important to learn cursive. 3rd grade… just one year of cursive and we all got it down

[Rei13]

I think people should learn enough to sign their name but otherwise it’s an unnecessary skill

[mysteriousNicholas]

@msc545 I'm just glad I can write at all ✍️

Surely I'm just as good enough in my life with my messy handwriting. - hell 😁

[Staximus]

If you want to write fast cursive is much faster than printing. Everybody doesn't carry a computer and printer.

[Dnice1]

Yeah it's essential for signatures and a plus to be able to read it

[msc545]

It is not needed for a signature.

[douride2]

You mean it isn't a requirement in school any more?

[msc545]

Now, as schools don't teach handwriting anymore, instructional time is too precious to waste it on that.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's quite important for faster writing.

[msc545]

It is actually quite slow.

[Opinion Owner]

It's faster than any non-cursive.

[Jmmmfi4]

I don't see a point anymore

I barely know how to sign my name

[beefcakebradybatson]

H**L to the YES, or else how are the future workers to be productive employees if they can't write legibly?

[msc545]

They do not need to write by hand. They can and do speak and type.

[beefcakebradybatson]

Many can't.

[msc545]

Many also can't read, which is far more critical.

[beefcakebradybatson]

And is contributing to the dumbing down of society.

[msc545]

Good handwriting has nothing to do with productivity, especially manual handwriting. It's just a waste of time

[WonderingManII]

Yes I do. For signing things.

[DrPepper12]

Yes. As an elective or "special" like art

[blackeagle007]

Isn’t it always? I learned in 2nd grade

[jazzy34]

Absolutely.

[msc545]

Please explain why.

[jazzy34]

There are times in which you still have to sign your name on certain documents. Not print it. Not initial it. Sign it. In my state, for example, people are required to sign their name upon completing the driver’s license exam.

[Twalli]

They aren't teaching it anymore, so those who are being taught in school now, don't learn it.

[msc545]

You could also print your name if necessary or you could draw an X. Both of those things are legal. I don't think it's necessary to have a whole course on cursive handwriting with samples of all that stuff to learn to sign your name.

[Raydergman26]

Yes so kids will know how to sine a check

[Anonymous]

It was when i was growing up