What's new

How do you feel about the death of cursive handwriting?

Because being a well rounded human being is knowing more than just maths, science, and technology.

Cursive writing is an art form and a way of communicating that is far more intimate and meaningful than a text, an email or an e-card. There is something special and joyous about receiving a hand written card or letter that conveys thoughtfulness, caring, and good manners on the part of the sender. I believe that cursive writing and care in penmanship is an important part of this.

Then again I’m an old geezer who finds families sitting for dinner in a restaurant with all their noses in their phones appalling.
 
Because being a well rounded human being is knowing more than just maths, science, and technology.

Cursive writing is an art form and a way of communicating that is far more intimate and meaningful than a text, an email or an e-card. There is something special and joyous about receiving a hand written card or letter that conveys thoughtfulness, caring, and good manners on the part of the sender. I believe that cursive writing and care in penmanship is an important part of this.

Then again I’m an old geezer who finds families sitting for dinner in a restaurant with all their noses in their phones appalling.

Totaly agree...nothing more special to me than my wife hand writting my a little note in her absolitely beautiful cursive penmanship and hiding it in my breifcase to be found later when im in my hotel wishing i was home.....how devastating it would be not to be able to read it or admire how beautiful she can write.
 
Because being a well rounded human being is knowing more than just maths, science, and technology.

Cursive writing is an art form and a way of communicating that is far more intimate and meaningful than a text, an email or an e-card. There is something special and joyous about receiving a hand written card or letter that conveys thoughtfulness, caring, and good manners on the part of the sender. I believe that cursive writing and care in penmanship is an important part of this.

Then again I’m an old geezer who finds families sitting for dinner in a restaurant with all their noses in their phones appalling.

Agreed! :thumbsup:
 
My cursive hand writing was never that neat and I have now lost it altogether following many years of enforced print on cadastral plans and the same amount of time printing because cursive was illegible after documents were faxed.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
I asked my younger nephew about this and also my older nephews daughter. Hes in grade 11 and shes going into grade 9 I believe, both here in Canada. He in Ontario, her in Alberta so two different provinces and government mandates.

He being in grade 11 hasnt been taught any form of cursive writing since grade 3 or 4, but as he has a basic understanding of it, he can read most, but he himself cannot write cursive.

Her being in grade 9 was never taught cursive and cannot write nor read and understand cursive. Both however can sign their names.

One thing has stuck with me from reading this thread. The American Declaration of Independence being written entirely in cursive, along with countless other important historical documents from around the world, none of which could be read by apparently many younger people.

I personally find that fundamentally wrong, or perhaps at 51 years old, I'm becoming obsolete.

In one or two more generations, who will be left to decipher these old, unusual and hard to read documents. This isnt like some old lost language that has taken hundreds or thousands of years to become obsolete. This is English which is the worlds most dominant language, and it's basically happening in a single generation.
 
Recently I shared a post card with a 26 year old who is about to start his teaching career. He could not make out the perfect penmanship! I have a vision of the young man receiving a note from a student's parent, but being unable to read it!

Mind you, he went to a Catholic HS and has five years of college under his belt.
 
One thing has stuck with me from reading this thread. The American Declaration of Independence being written entirely in cursive, along with countless other important historical documents from around the world, none of which could be read by apparently many younger people.

Coming from someone whose job it is to get students to read these, trust me, if could read were the only obstacle, it would be a piece of cake. My biggest challenge on a daily basis is getting them to want to read those documents. Many don't care what went into providing them the freedom and rights they have. On day one each semester, I give a pretest to high school seniors. One question asks who we fought in the American Revolution to gain independence. I have gotten Germany, Mexico, Canada, and America as answers.

It's all connected in a web of apathy. People are becoming more ignorant, and they don't care.
 

Claudel Xerxes

Staff member
The brain works differently when writing something by hand, and this difference is even greater when writing in cursive. Every study that I've ever read about the importance of handwriting has attested that writing in cursive is beneficial to the brain, and also beneficial to fine motors skills and the obvious one, the ability to read and communicate.
 
I refuse to lament the demise of cursive writing. Any more than I will lament the demise of Shakespearean era English. This world is in a constant state of change. Not all of it is bad.

My son was not taught cursive but is fluent in 3 languages. His girlfriend (19 years old) is also fluent in 3 languages. The younger generation is not all a bunch of mindless slobbering fools.

I would argue all day long that learning foreign languages in this global economy is far more important than learning a style of handwriting whose time has past.

I appreciate that some here value cursive writing, fountain pens, and the nib, but it is a hobby, not a necessary tool for communicating in 2017 and beyond. As far as old documents are concerned such as the American Declaration of Independence, how many of you read other old documents like the Bible in its original handwritten form? The DOI is available instantly, online, for anyone to read in any language. Children don't have to travel to Washing DC to read the original manuscript.
 
One thing has stuck with me from reading this thread. The American Declaration of Independence being written entirely in cursive, along with countless other important historical documents from around the world, none of which could be read by apparently many younger people.

I have facsimile copies of the DOI and the Constitution, that are printed on real parchment paper. Made to look like the original document. I bought them some years ago when visiting the Lincoln Memorial. It is, in fact, hard to read - with all the flair, personal embellishments, and obsolete vocabulary contained in it. Though I can read cursive it isn't all that easy to read.

During another trip, my wife and I got to see the ACTUAL original Constitution, which was on temporary display. (It is so fragile even light damages it, so, it's normally locked away). I got to see it - under guard, behind glass, with the lights turned down low. But I got to see the real deal!
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
It's all connected in a web of apathy. People are becoming more ignorant, and they don't care.

That pretty much sums it all up perfectly in my view also, sadly.

Appreciation, especially of the finer things and even "lost arts", I believe comes with age. Ignorance can be overcome, but only with desire.

I still have my fathers Bible that was given to him when he was born in 1934. It's filled with "Thee and Thou" as I feel it should be. A more modern translation, such as what can be read online may convey slightly different meanings and feelings as more modern writing, especially in the age of the internet and the associated abbreviated dialect of English its brought upon us all, can sometimes be left open to interpretation. "Ur" in place or "your" or "you're", I find as simply lazy and does nothing but highlight ones own ignorance.


The younger generation is not all a bunch of mindless slobbering fools.

I dont think anyone has implied that, and certainly not myself. On the whole I believe younger generations are in many ways smarter than my own. I remember helping my nephew with his grade 4 algebra, that I didnt take until grade 9. I dont believe that excuses the fact that many cannot read nor understand the written English language. Perhaps I am obsolete lol.


During another trip, my wife and I got to see the ACTUAL original Constitution, which was on temporary display. (It is so fragile even light damages it, so, it's normally locked away). I got to see it - under guard, behind glass, with the lights turned down low. But I got to see the real deal!

This is sort of my point. For you, and apparently everyone as it was under guard and cared for so well, its a big deal! It amazes me that something so important to a country, that has so much meaning not even only as an historical document, but relevant to this very day, cannot be read and understood by so many. More modern translations, as with any language, are sure to change slightly with each later translation.

King Arthur The Great was the first very active historian in England, and without his original documents much of the entire history of Europe and the United Kingdom would not even exist, not to mention be open to interpretation. Much like any other countries history, those documents should be able to be read and understood. Thee and Thou notwithstanding lol. This is not Sanskrit, this is English.
 
King Arthur The Great was the first very active historian in England, and without his original documents much of the entire history of Europe and the United Kingdom would not even exist, not to mention be open to interpretation.

There is an ebb and flow to these things, historically. The library at Alexandria was burned well before King Arthur kept documents, and such events occur cyclically throughout civilized history. How many fine works of art were destroyed during the two World Wars? We like to think that we are getting more educated and more refined as time goes by, and perhaps in a general way this is true, but look at the razors that were made 100 years ago compared to the ones made today. This website is a testament to the meandering nature of civilization's evolution and while it holds up fine ideals, may not survive the era that threatens to swallow it up. It is through efforts of the folks here at B&B and others like them who hold these things sacred that raises the standard of all else, that can weather a storm of decreased refinement or sensibility; that also creates the resentment and jealousy that aim to tear down their artifice. All we can ever really do is be champions of what we believe and cling to courage and truth with all our might.

I will agree that handwritten cursive letters are second to none, as I have some from my grandmother and mother, both now deceased, and I can see the hands that wrote them just by reading them again.
 
I was taught cursiva writing at school and I still use it to sign, but I can type much faster :001_smile. I like typing.
I learned typing with typewriters. Computers weren't that available back then.
 
Calling the Declaration of Independence "The DOI" is kind of lazy.

Not at all, if you go to the Fed Gov website you will find many instances of the document referred to as the DOI.

Interesting that the DOI is used as a reason to regret that cursive is no longer taught in US public schools. After all, the form of cursive used to write the DOI hasn't been taught to school age children since the early 1800's.

By the mid1800's children were learning the Spencer method.

Around the early 1900's the Palmer method replaced the Spencer approach in most US classrooms.

Which of course was replaced by D'Nealian Script in the 1970's as a way of easing the transition from Print to Cursive.

Lets not forget the Zaner / Bloser approach taught to many elementary students until the mid-1980's.

Point being, even cursive is evolving and changing and the script used in the DOI has been obsolete for nearly as long as the document has existed.

I wonder if 1850 era scholars lamented the change to that pesky Spencer?

Having said all of that...really....I don't care a great deal. I've just never been one to wring my hands over change. I've learned to embrace it. I'm sensing I may be pushing too many buttons though, which is leading to the first touches of trolling so I'll step out of the debate.

Cheers!
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
There is an ebb and flow to these things, historically. The library at Alexandria was burned well before King Arthur kept documents, and such events occur cyclically throughout civilized history. How many fine works of art were destroyed during the two World Wars? We like to think that we are getting more educated and more refined as time goes by, and perhaps in a general way this is true, but look at the razors that were made 100 years ago compared to the ones made today. This website is a testament to the meandering nature of civilization's evolution and while it holds up fine ideals, may not survive the era that threatens to swallow it up. It is through efforts of the folks here at B&B and others like them who hold these things sacred that raises the standard of all else, that can weather a storm of decreased refinement or sensibility; that also creates the resentment and jealousy that aim to tear down their artifice. All we can ever really do is be champions of what we believe and cling to courage and truth with all our might.

I will agree that handwritten cursive letters are second to none, as I have some from my grandmother and mother, both now deceased, and I can see the hands that wrote them just by reading them again.

This forum is a fantastic example of championing the use of instruments long thought obsolete and yet in may ways much better than their modern counterparts. Speaking only for myself, I'm honestly amazed at how much better.

I was taught by my father at a very young age, 4 or 5, to always stand up and fight for what I believe in and for what I believe is right and proper and I've clung to that my entire life and will continue to do so. I believe it a persons moral duty to be honest and forthright in everything they do and with everyone they interact with.

The letters you speak of from loved ones long gone are very special and very important. Not only to you, but perhaps your children, grandchildren and so on down the line. In my mind, its important that letters such as those be able to not only be read, but understood. I agree that when seeing such letters as I have from my own grandmother, I can see and hear her in her writing. Such things are meant to be cherished.


Having said all of that...really....I don't care a great deal. I've just never been one to wring my hands over change. I've learned to embrace it. I'm sensing I may be pushing too many buttons though, which is leading to the first touches of trolling so I'll step out of the debate.

I personally value your opinions and while I can understand all points you make, I can still disagree with some and you can mine and others. Only speaking for myself, I dont see anything you've said as trolling nor offensive. Some may see you as the sole voice of reason.

This is after all a discussion, not a debate. No one is right or wrong. This does seem to be a powerful and even emotional subject. That in itself deems it worthy to me.
 
Coming from someone whose job it is to get students to read these, trust me, if could read were the only obstacle, it would be a piece of cake. My biggest challenge on a daily basis is getting them to want to read those documents. Many don't care what went into providing them the freedom and rights they have. On day one each semester, I give a pretest to high school seniors. One question asks who we fought in the American Revolution to gain independence. I have gotten Germany, Mexico, Canada, and America as answers.

It's all connected in a web of apathy. People are becoming more ignorant, and they don't care.

These don't know and don't care high school seniors are able to vote at age 18. If they can be bothered, of course course.

Thing is, they can talk music or movies, or even athletic shoes or smart phones with a degree of detail which is amazing. Um, like, you know. :)
 

The Count of Merkur Cristo

B&B's Emperor of Emojis
Chango:
We were all taught cursive back in my day and it's such a shame (quite possibly across the land), they don't teach this 'elementary' hand writing style anymore.
Teacher.jpg


It's on par with the thought of literature without the classics.
Say What.jpg


proxy.php
"[Cursive] writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go". E.L. Doctorow
 
personally I applaud schools for working to stay relevant.
They arnt doing away with literacy, just a style of writing which is no longer as prevalent as it once was.
 
Top Bottom