Is cursive handwriting a dying skill?

[dsmms]

The majority of my sixth graders print all of their work. I never thought too much of this, but I recently had an advanced student ask me to print my comments on her paper because she could not read cursive handwriting! A few years ago, I taught third grade and I did teach cursive handwriting. Beginning in January, they were not allowed to turn in any paper in print.

I have considered requiring my sixth graders to write in cursive because I think it is important. Then again, I think about all the technology focus and wonder if it is necessary. As they get older and need to write notes quickly in their classes, I think writing in cursive will be helpful to them. Besides, even their printing is unbelievably horrendous!:eek: With everything else I am supposed to be teaching, should I even worry about this. Why is this not being taught and reinforced in elementary school?

[Clearly Canadian]

Unfortunately, I think cursive is going the way of the dodo. There is merit in teaching cursive, because of the fine motor skill, but generally, I don't know that it's a skill they will need in their future. With the computer at their disposal, students need typing skills more. The hunt and peck method drives me crazy. Penmanship in grade 7 and 8 is horrendous, and I would rather students type out their work, so I can at least read it.

[dsmms]

The problem I have with typing is that many of the things I have them write are things that I want them to remember. They are quite savvy with the "copy and paste" buttons and this does not help them retain anything. I have had them turn in vocabulary to me that they copied and pasted from merriam-webster.com, and I am sure they probably didn't even read the definition before pasting it to the page. It definitely was easier to read, but I doubt they got anything from the assignment. I have had them copy summaries from amazon.com. I know they could plagiarize handwritten work as well, but the computer makes it so much easier for them to copy another's words. I'm frustrated! I love computers, but I want them to be a tool, not a crutch. I give very few assignments that I allow typing...my eyeballs are paying the price!

[Clearly Canadian]

For everyday stuff, my kids have to use pen and paper. So for vocab they have to do a three column vocab that has the word, the definition and then they must do an illustration to accompany the definition. Copy and paste is definitely a problem, with computers, when students hand in plagiarized work as their own. I let kids know though that a quick google search and they're busted!! :D

I let my kids use computers for major assignments, that are to be handed in in good copy, which for me is blue/black pen or on the computer. For notes and worksheets, I just want them to get the information, and complete the assignment, so pen or pencil isn't that important to me. I can think of only two students in my grade 7 & 8 social classes (so about 100 kids) who handwrite everything. The rest print, and with any luck they do it so it's legible. The exception being, kids with learning disabilities, who use the computers more frequently.

It's the big stuff that needs to be completed in good copy. And the computer skills are important too. How to spell check and make sure you have the correct word, not a homonym, font choice, size choice, indenting etc.

Anyway, I believe there is value in doing work "by hand", using pen and paper, but cursive isn't the hill I'm willing to die on in my class. With all the other challenges we face everyday, I'm just happy if they get the notes, which means they have a writing instrument, paper, text, (pen, pencil, printed, cursive, typed) and can then find them the next day! Maybe that seems like I've set the expectations too low, but I feel that the time spent in my class is about the learning, in whatever form or shape that occurs. I'm not poopooing your desire to have kids do cursive, I just don't know if it's worth the energy you might spend.

Just the ramblings of a teacher on Christmas holidays, after only one cup of coffee! :waving:

[wig]

This discussion was on another forum so I am going to cut and paste my thoughts here:

As a middle school teacher, I cannot begin to tell you how sad it is when we get students who not only have no clue how to write cursive, but cannot read it as well. The worst part is, most of them cannot print legibly either because past second grade, no time was given to practice neatness and legibility. I found that many of my students who print instead of writing in cursive, leave no discernable spaces between words and often I cannot read some of the letters.

I understand not having time to teach cursive with the pressures of NCLB. We, too run out of time. We do not have the pressures public schools have although we do follow state standards, but we teach another subject not taught in public schools in a day no longer than public schools have. However, our elementary teachers spend 15 minutes a day practicing handwriting. Our third grade teacher, after instruction, reads to them as they practice. Our fourth grade teacher uses it as bell work first thing in the morning. Our fifth grade teacher assigns it as homework, although if the students have time during the day, they can practice then. The fifth grade teacher has them practice writing a quote a day in both manuscript and cursive. Do they learn how to write perfect letters? No. But the majority of them do know how to write legibly.

Those who know cursive are able to take notes faster. Journal writing is easier since cursive flows better and faster than printing allowing students to write with the flow of their thoughts. There are still some universities who require that the essay written with their application be done in cursive. (I am sure this will end at some point due to the prevailing opinion that this is an unnecessary skill, but as of last spring, my nephew still had to do this.)

We have had these discussions before and I know that this is one of those areas that people are not going to change their minds on - especially those who were never taught cursive well to begin with and feel they do just fine without this knowledge.

Here is my plea. If you do not want to or are unable to find time to teach cursive, PLEASE give them time to practice printing legibly.

My sixth graders have to do most work in cursive. Written assignments are always typed, because they need that practice as well. All of my SS students (5-8) have to turn written assignments in typed. I do not discount the fact that computers have taken the lead in written communication. BUt not everything can be typed and this needs to be kept in mind. Not everything we learn is used on a daily basis but we still see the importance of teaching it. I think handwriting falls in that category.

[msstefano]

Hello, Besides not learning cursive, they don't learn to tell time on an 'old time' annaloge clock! I have neighbor kids who come over to do pottery, and they are always asking me what time it is. What is this world comming to?!

I know technology has taken over many 'functional' parts of life for kids, but it's hard to imagine a world without cursive, or 'old time' clocks....and many other things like...'real' food.

I guess our grandparents thought the same thing......

[Brit]

analog is a part of the curriculum where I am, but as far as I recall, cursive isn't. With so many other things on our plates, cursive does seem to be being left out. I think it's an important skill to have, but only if it is taught CORRECTLY, and how many of us actualyl know how to teach it correctly anymore? I learned how to form the letters in grade 3, but to actually master proper crusive is more than just knowing how to form the letters. I still wish I knew how to properly write in script, but I agree that typing is much more valuable in this day and age.

[dsmms]

I know there is sixth graders on my team that can't tell time on an analog clock...which is every class and hallway of our school! Can't imagine why anyone would think it is important for them to know how to do this. I taught my third graders this skill - it was part of the math curriculum. I am not sure if it is reinforced in fourth and fifth grades, but somehow they are getting to sixth without knowing it. Often when a student signs out of my class to go to the library, guidance, the office, the nurse, etc. they have to ask what time to write because they cannot read the analog clock on the wall.

I know that technology is the focus and that is why these antiquated skills are fading, but we are not completely there yet, and these kids still need to function in the here and now. I don't know about everyone else, but the computers in our school are outdated and unreliable and not all students have access at home so being able to write and tell time is still sort of important - in a few years, maybe not. I am not opposed to change, I like technology. I just think we have to find the balance, especially for students who are still learning the basics. Eventually, this will all be obsolete. I remember my sister taking shorthand in highschool. I never took it (wish I had when I was in college). You never hear about that anymore do you? I'm sure that is telling my age!

Clearly Canadian, I don't think I want to die on the cursive handwriting hill either. I'm much to young for that!:laugh:

[silvana]

I teach year 2 that is pupils aged 6 and 7 and I have one 20 minute session per week on cursive handwriting followed by daily reinforcment in all subjects. Being able to write legibly and in a cursive manner is a skill and part of the writing process. Technology is good but I believe there will always be a need for a good handwriting styles.


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[Clearly Canadian]

Clearly Canadian, I don't think I want to die on the cursive handwriting hill either. I'm much to young for that!:laugh:

Ha Ha! That's good!

Well, by Grade 7, kids can't read an analog clock either. And they have serious difficulty in transferring their knowledge of a digital clock to a "face" clock. So when their schedule says class is over at 9:15, they can't tell what time that is on the clock in my room.

When writing on the board, how many teachers use cursive when putting information up for students to read, copy etc? I'm not sure I could do it! Mine has become a hybrid of printing and cursive.

On the note of short hand, I teach my kids to short hand their notes, in a style that works for them. There are lots of abbreviations we use in class when using Venn Diagrams etc., and we create a common language for abbreviating things. They can only use this in notes, not in formal assignments/projects. We begin using the shorthand in the first week, and use it consistently all year. This is really subject specific though. The science teacher on the other hand, refuses to let them use any short hand and has them write out verbatim. Differing styles.

Still on holidays, still only the first cup of coffee!:laugh:

[Boxcar]

I teach my preschoolers informally about analog clocks. They are exposed to that type of time, but it isn't concrete enough for them to really grasp yet. Time is a very abstract concept.

The pre-Ks and Ks get into it more. A clock is a great way to tie into fractions, counting by fives, and other math lessons. I'm surprised it doesn't continue into first and second grades. I try not to push it too much with the little ones. They aren't totally sure about what time is in the beginning. Routine is how they tell time. However, by the time they are done with first grade, I would think they would have a basic idea of what an analog was telling them.

I also have a hybred of nandwriting. I use both printed and cursive letters. When I'm in a hurry, cursive is what I try and use. It is a lot quicker, and it doesn't strain your hand muscles as much. Unfortuantely, I don't have that nice "teacher handwritting". I'm left-handed so I avoid chalkboards. Otherwise, I end up dragging my hand through what I've written. I can write with my right-hand as well, but I'm not as confident with it.

[Clix]

Yes, handwriting is a dying skill. I don't think it's essential - it's more of a specialty, something that's convenient and can be fun. I think it'll become something like sewing, carpentry, or other specialized crafts: it's a useful skill for anyone to have at a basic level, and at higher levels it becomes almost an art form.

[KensOma]

I truly hope that the belief that handwriting is a dying art form is not globally shared. Handwriting instruction is an area where I focus alot of attention when working with education majors-especially early childhood ed students. One concern is that fine motor development - and the ability to write by hand - becomes a poverty issue. As educators we do a disservice to our primary students when we fail to show them how to use a pencil or pen to make letters. Not everyone will have the ability to use a computer, nor will they all come from homes where adults are writing anything by hand. In some neighborhoods where I work, kindergarten may be the first time a child touches a crayon (unless they were given one in a restaurant's "kids-meal").
Also, recent brain research is showing that the fine motor ability/control used to write by hand helps to activate portions of the brain used for higher-order thinking skills needed for math and science. Our grandparents might not have had the benefit of home computers, however most were able to pick up a pencil/pen and write their thoughts on a sheet of paper.
I don't advocate fixating on letter formation, however an ability to deconstruct letters into strokes and then put them together again, is a good foundation for learning to read.

[teacher5]

:gabby:Although cursive penmanship is taught in third grade, and I know it is because I walk by and see and hear and watch the instruction going on; less time has been given to it because of state testing and the need to do test prep. Each year I have one or two fifth graders who tell me they can't read cursvie penmanship. Everyday I write the daily schedule in cursive penmanship. It helps these kids to begin to decode the letters and words because there is a need to know. At first their peers decode for them, but then they stop. There are too many important notes for me to record on the board or overhead, and the kids need to get and learn the info in a timely manner so I print, too. Most students can just print faster than they can write in cursive. I do know places that teach D'Nealian hand writing in kindergatern through second grade. This program teaches students printing that looks like a form of cursive. So during the second half of second grade, the vast majority of kids can easily make the transition to cursive writing. Teachers in K-2 must spend time daily modeling and practicing letter formations and letter connections. It works! Both of my daughters went through this system and can easily and legibly and quickly write in either D'Nealian print or cursive. They even taught me. My older daughter is an MD and often gets kidded because they can read the prescriptions she has written! Unless there is a system of proper modeling and consistent practice, handwriting in general will become a lost art to the almighty word processor. Oh, by the way, all the clocks in my school are analog. Time is definitely devoted to learning how to tell time in K-3. This is considered a life skill. Unless a child comes to me from another school district, or has some kind of learning disability; my students are able to tell time both ways. Conclusion: If you make time teach to teach it and model it correctly, and provided enough guided practice and application; the student can learn.

[War_Eagle]

The majority of my sixth graders print all of their work. I never thought too much of this, but I recently had an advanced student ask me to print my comments on her paper because she could not read cursive handwriting! A few years ago, I taught third grade and I did teach cursive handwriting. Beginning in January, they were not allowed to turn in any paper in print.

I have considered requiring my sixth graders to write in cursive because I think it is important. Then again, I think about all the technology focus and wonder if it is necessary. As they get older and need to write notes quickly in their classes, I think writing in cursive will be helpful to them. Besides, even their printing is unbelievably horrendous!:eek: With everything else I am supposed to be teaching, should I even worry about this. Why is this not being taught and reinforced in elementary school?

My grandmother was an English teacher for more than fifty years (I mean, you'd never know it from my grammar, but she was).

From the day I was able to hold a pencil, she drilled penmanship into my little brain.

I hate to see penmanship go by the wayside because there is something very personal in a hand written note that just cannot be conveyed by an email or a typed letter.

I remember when my father was away in the war, how excited I would be to get letters from him. Not just for the usual reasons, such as knowing that he was OK or sharing his experiences with him, even distantly, but because there was something very special and comforting in seeing his handwriting. It was as close to his being present and I could come without his actually being there.

When it comes to thank you notes (which is something else that is dying) or well wishes, a handwritten note says that the person was important enough to you to sit down and take the effort to put pen to paper.

Personal emails, by their very nature, are caual. "Hi. Hw ru?" is just not the same as a thoughtful letter.

I get the feeling that I'm older than most of you here and my ideas about romance are terribly outdated, but I know many women who treasure the letters they've received in their lives, both love letters and other. I just don't see a woman printing an email and keeping that in a box for fifty years.

On our farm, we're not technology oriented at all. My wife and I have computers for our businesses and my children have computers for their homeschooling and the businesses that they started. Because we don't have a TV, I have a projector that I use to show movies on a bedsheet, via Powerpoint, but that's about it.

We host at risk children and when they arrive on our farm, they're shocked. You would think it's because of all of the animals or the beautiful view of the Chesapeake Bay, but no. They get out of the car and the first thing they say is "my cell phone doesn't work". When I explain to them that we're so far out in the country that we don't really get cell phone service, you can just see the blood drain from their face.

It only goes down hill when they find out that we don't have a TV, that there are no video games, and that any internet access they have is severely limited, both in content and in time.

You actually have to show these children how to wash dishes by hand.

It is absolutely amazing, and very sad, just how much they depend on technology.

[dsmms]

Right on War Eagle!

Just because we have dishwashers, doesn't mean that dishwashing by hand is of no use.

By the same token, Just because we have calculators, doesn't mean we no longer need to teach multiplication tables.

I still think there is, and will always be to some extent, the need for legible penmanship. I understand that the curriculum is so full that it is difficult to get this in, but we need to try.

As I said before, I know I taught it to my third graders a few years ago before I moved to sixth grade, but I have heard that the fourth grade teachers do not require the students to write in cursive. If they don't use these skills they lose them, so it doesn't matter if it is taught in third grade if fourth and fifth grades do not reinforce it.

There are a couple of articles listed on ASCD smartbriefs if any of you are receiving their newsletters. These newsletters compile education articles from all over the world. I thought it was interesting that this popped up right after I posed this question to this forum.