I saw on the news this morning that in 44 states, learning to write in cursive is optional. Penmanship is out the window. And to think that after all these years of trying to improve my penmanship it is, "optional". When I was in grade school I was always a little bit envious of the other guys that had smooth, easily readable handwriting. (girls always seemed to write nice) My Mom always encouraged us kids to do well at writing clearly, with good penmanship. I was told a couple of times that I wrote like a girl and that made me proud. I still change it around occasionally if I see something I like in the way a letter is formed or whatever.
I guess the key pad has taken over. I think a type written letter is much more impersonal than one written, and signed at the bottom. Guess I'm just an old nerd.
Maybe they will quit teaching arithmetic and just learn how to use a calculator? What if you went to Wal-Mart and the person at the checkout had to use a pencil and paper to tally up your bill and write you a receipt? Hope our power grid don't fall apart.
OK, I is done ranting.
Pray for our children,
Gordon

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better have that checked

It is sad to see cursive writing going out the window (and I say this as someone whose own handwriting is not the easiest to read). I think what disturbs me more is to see basic writing, spelling, and syntax die through the use of text messages.

It's not like the only options are cursive or typing. You can print, right? I've always written in block/printed letters (as soon as we were allowed). It's faster and much more legible, in my case.

The only time I see cursive is when I get a birthday card from grandma...

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This...is my BOOMSTICK

G.T., it's just a sign of the times. Since email and texting are so prevalent now, the keyboard is what you learn on. None of my daughters have good cursive handwriting because it's no longer taught. I was taught, but my cursive is so bad I always print. I remember getting one report card in grade school that was all "A's"; except for the "D" in penmanship.

In math now they expect or even require you to bring a calculator to class. You aren't taught the rote memorization of the multiplication tables, or how to do basic math functions in your head. Every kid's cell phone has a calculator, so they use it.

Wal-Mart wouldn't even let you check out if there was no power for the register - the bar code scanner is tied into their inventory control system. Even if they could add it up on a piece of paper, they wouldn't be allowed to.

JTA - you are so right. I hound my girls like crazy when they send an email that looks like a text message. There's no 160 character limit in an email; use proper grammar, not some hieroglyphic abbreviation!

Another thought. Think of the time it takes to practice cursive. How long it takes to write something out in longhand. Teacher's don't want to strain their eyes trying to figure out someone's bad handwriting. I can type WAY faster than I can write or print, and editing as you go is much easier. It took a lot more brainpower to compose an entire document in your head before you put down the first word than it does to type your thoughts and then rearrange the words for best effect.

I was taught cursive writing in school and i use it on a some what regular basis, but my handwriting is so bad that i prefer to print since my print writing is some what easier to read.

In a hundred years, with no emphasis on the written word (pen/pencil and paper), a great chunk of history will evaporate.

We have documents that are literally thousands of years old. They were committed to paper/parchment/papyrus using a pen/stylus. We can read them everyday if we so choose.

Now, someone tell me of a document on a storage medium from the early 1980's (floppy/Bernoulli disk), which can be retrieved instantly. How about information stored on computer tapes or cards from the 1960's?

I spent many years in the construction industry, ending up as General Foreman or Steward on many jobs. I noticed that I was printing notes and turnover reports rather than writing. I started re-teaching myself cursive, and practice it still today. I still send hand written notes to friends. I have had men that I consider inteligent, come to me and ask me to read a note to them.

And yes, when I send a text, it has proper spelling and grammer. I think society is doomed.

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

Ever since I learned to use a typewriter in high school, my cursive writing went to pot. If I do write with pen and paper, it's a form of "hasty printing" to make things more intelligible for those that will have to read it.

Since computers came along, I retired the typewriter, and I only scribble notes here and there on birthday cards, etc. I suspect computers represent the death knell to the written word.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I gave up trying to write cursive.Sad.I just never could do it.I'm very dexterous in most things.
My father and brother are lefties and write beautifully.Both of my Granddads wrote well and one could do lettering in most styles.Pen or brush.Try to find a artist like that these days.
I guess those genes weren't passed to me.I also often wonder if I should have been left handed,many signs point to that.

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Dum vivo cano

Cursive calls back a time when personal stationery and fountain pens were used as a hallmark of the times. Tough to see it all go, but I guess the Post Office will be next since the younger generations is in such a hurry that electronic mail is the thing, plus it corrects their bad spelling.

I am beginning to think that spelling is optional, also.

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Recycled Bricklayer

I'm showing my age here, but in grade school I was taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and we spent hours perfecting our penmanship. Now, when sending Christmas cards, I usually prefer to type a message on my keyboard. However, to those who are especially close to me, I will add a handwritten personal message.

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Quoth the raven:
"Nevermore"

I haven't written in cursive since I was in school. In the Navy we were required to fill our log books with all capitol letters. I've been writing that way ever since.

proper spelling

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This...is my BOOMSTICK

I'm old enough to remember the alphabet up above the board with capital and lower case letters in cursive. I tried to write well, I really did, but if I remember right I got a fourth grade writing certificate when I was in the SIXTH grade. Something about mixing printing and cursive.

I am in one hundred percent agreement! I use complete words and check my spelling in text messages. It is frustrating when people don't.

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Proud anachronism

Whatcha gonna do when the net go's down? Ever wonder why the services make folks learn to navigate WITHOUT a GPS? (maybe just in case that happens someday?)

GT I was talking with someone last week about hand writing being on it's way out. For one I am glad. My hand writing was always bad. To make it even worse my hand shakes when I try to wright or use a screwdriver or anything like that. My wife has to fill out doctors papers for me. It seems like every time you go you have to fill them out. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

See? We are doomed!

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

I have not written in cursive in over twenty years. The nature of my work requires legibility...cursive writing does not always have that no matter who does it. Most of us type our stuff on a computer at work nowadays as it is.

Cursive is a dying art...one that will all but vanish save as a curiosity in the next twenty-five years.

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The Last Standing Knight

I have horrible handwriting. Often I can't read it myself, particularly when it's gone cold. Part, but by no means all of it, is because I should be doing it left handed, but was switched to writing right handed in kindergarden. I still have one kindergarden paper from before WW II, that says "Colin has poor penmanship"; and the last paper I wrote as an undergraduate at Harvard University has the notation "Terrible handwriting".

I learned to type in self defense.

Finally! It's about time!!

My handwriting and math "skills" were terrible...due to laziness in learning the right way!

So...I promised myself to "never" take a job that required either. I almost lived up to that promise, as an Air Traffic Controller I did have to keep a "count" of the planes on my scope in case one disappeared.

Seriously it is sad that penmanship is on the way out. I always admired those who had good handwriting. To me it indicated a person who was patient, "artful", and willing to do the work necessary to learn the skill.

Let me add other curriculums no longer taught...history, civics, government, decorum, etiquette, art appreciation...

Our nation is creating a society of "mushrooms" instead of quality "citizens".

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

From the day we learned cursive all the way through my courses at A&M, I had the best penmanship of all my classmates. I've seen this coming for a while and it really saddens me. When I want to be sure my message to a legislator makes the most impact, I write it in cursive using ink, and then sign it in ink after the proper summation. The hand written letter has a tremendous impact on the liars we elect; Emails and opinion polls or petitions...not so much. The power of the written word is still supreme.

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Ralph J.

That's why I keep my slide ruler, sextant and tables around cause ya just never know.................. Imagine what would happen if the sun threw off a humongus solar flare that fried everything electrical in the world
Total disaster-imagine watching TV by candle light.

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Forum consigliere

If by candle...where's the TV get the electricty?

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Ralph J.

And speaking of lost skills, I'm not very good at my bowling scores without the computer. Heaven help me if we go back to paper and pencil.

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2 Blessed 2B Stressed

Good riddance to cursive. Excellent penmanship is so rare that it often looks like written arabic. Printed writing is distinct and has less chance for misunderstanding.

If a computer can take what we write and convert it into clear cursive then that would be neat.

I can write in cursive, but I prefer to print unless I'm writing my signature. The reason is that my cursive writing is refered to as Infantile Cursive.

Rule 303