The Next Great Debate? Probably not.

cursiveThe next great cataclysmic education reform debate is about to erupt with the power of several hundred burning suns. Or maybe not. Perhaps the next great education reform debate will fizzle out like a damp firecracker in a rainstorm.

Cursive handwriting: in the standards or not?

Mrs. Worthy, Mrs. Singer, and Mr. Winters all managed to sculpt my cursive handwriting into something fluid, useful, malleable, and neat. Some people even think my cursive handwriting is—dare I say it—beautiful. And while I am not a stickler for precise cursive (I believe that one’s handwriting should reflect the writer’s personality), I do believe that learning it is important.

Others? Not so much. In this era of touch-screen tablets, smartphones, laptops, interactive whiteboards, texting, status updates, common core standards, and limited arts funding, they ask, “Who cares what a person’s handwriting looks like? As long as you can read it.” Before long, a person won’t even have to sign a receipt at a store (the last bastion of the signature) because you’ll simply hold your smartphone up to the register and codes will be exchanged as fast as money zips from your checking account to Aeropostale’s bottom line.

So I put it to you. Cursive handwriting: should it stay or should it go?


6 thoughts on “The Next Great Debate? Probably not.

  1. I have this discussion all time. I know we are advancing in the world of technology, but writing is one of those fundamental skills that everyone should possess. Handwriting is not an important focus in schools any longer, because of the replacement of keyboards. The art of writing a letter or simply writing our names have been replaced with technology.
    I think everyone should know cursive. Will we eventually not have to read for ourselves either, with the advancement of technology?

  2. I agree, Margie. When technology fails, we need to be able to continue. Cursive handwriting is one of those fundamental skills that everyone should possess. I am reminded of the time the power went out while we were shopping. The store chose to remain open, provided their cashiers with price lists and calculators. Many young people couldn’t figure out how to calculate the total of an order and were completely lost when presented with more money and had to make change! A sad statement of our technology driven society.

  3. And when the students go on a field trip to see the Declaration of Independence, they will have to read the typed copy next to it. Of course in 100 years, no one will be left that can READ the cursive writing, so we won’t know what it says anyway. Who, or what, is [a] John Hancock?

    How about for the people who can’t type due to their carpal tunnel syndrome because of all the typing they’ve done?

    Forgery will be nice and easy without signatures to copy but just copy and paste instead.

    I’m 26, teach first grade, and love technology. That being said, cursive writing, just like times tables, should never be eliminated.

  4. We have to remember that cursive writing is not just a subject to teach. It helps to get the left and right brain working which benefits the learning process. All students need to spend some time writing on cursive.

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