Cursive in school: Should it still be taught to 3rd and 4th graders?

[fitzov]

There's only two types of people that print--people that can't write in cursive, and engineers.
Oh wait, that makes one type.

 

[badmouse]

They should teach keyboarding.

The other stuff - printing and cursive - should be forbidden that way every kid would learn how to do it.

 

[everman]

I write in cursive 100% of the time, unless it's a document asking me to print.

 

[thomsbrain]

HUGE WASTE OF TIME.

older folks will piss and moan all day about kids not learning cursive because it's just another thing on their laundry list of threats to life as they knew it. but the fact is, we don't need cursive because we have computers. anytime we need to write something either quickly or professionally, we are going to use a computer. cursive simply has no place in modern society. even that crap about "note-taking" is useless. these days, professors usually present with Powerpoint (there's those computers again!), and publish the files online so that you can download them BEFORE class and (gasp!) pay attention in class instead of scribbling mad little curly-q's.

they could teach kids to create their own signature in one week, especially since most signatures often aren't even recognizable as real letters, let alone "cursive." there is no need to spend years of these kids lives on something that is already obsolete. it's like spending years teaching kids to use a typewriter, or manually set type at a printing press. it's that useless.

 

[bignateyk]

I cant write in cursive. When I have to sign something, I just make the first and last letters of each name in cursive, and then kinda trail off in something that slightly resembles cursive.

 

[monk3y]

I use cursive for everything

 

[zerolus]

I use cursive for everything as well. I hate having to pick up the pencil after every single letter when printing.

 

[mattpegher]

Most people's cursive is illegible dispite being taught how. In medicine we are increasingly realizing that mistakes are made often due to poor hand writing and in the future computer entry will be used exclusively but in the meantime docs are encouraged to print.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: Queasy
I rarely write in cursive anymore but I think it should still be taught.

I agree and think just for the purpose of learning to sign your name in cursive if nothing else.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
HUGE WASTE OF TIME.

older folks will piss and moan all day about kids not learning cursive because it's just another thing on their laundry list of threats to life as they knew it. but the fact is, we don't need cursive because we have computers. anytime we need to write something either quickly or professionally, we are going to use a computer. cursive simply has no place in modern society. even that crap about "note-taking" is useless. these days, professors usually present with Powerpoint (there's those computers again!), and publish the files online so that you can download them BEFORE class and (gasp!) pay attention in class instead of scribbling mad little curly-q's.

they could teach kids to create their own signature in one week, especially since most signatures often aren't even recognizable as real letters, let alone "cursive." there is no need to spend years of these kids lives on something that is already obsolete. it's like spending years teaching kids to use a typewriter, or manually set type at a printing press. it's that useless.

Yeah, and if you think cursive is useless now imagine how useless it'll be in 10-15 years when these kids finish college!

 

[trmiv]

My cursive looks like arabic. A lot of good learning cursive in school did me.

 

[j00fek]

should be taught till they graduate from school no less

 

[nageov3t]

cursive writing has always seemed really stupid and pointless to me... I don't even write my signature in cursive.

 

[mb]

It's pointless... I don't know anyone around my age (22) that writes that way. Signatures? Mine is just chicken scratch... anyone who could come close to deciphering mine could read one written in "cursive" without having to learn it in school.

 

[thegimp03]

I almost always write in cursive still. I think people should learn it whether they're turning in typed assignments or not.

 

[CKent]

The few times I write something rather than type it, I use a lazy sort of cursive hybrid. With the advent of PCs it's no longer needed, and should not be taught at all.

 

[Baked]

Learned it back in elementary school. It serves no purpose whatsoever. I've never written in cursive. It's just too damn slow. I have my own form of hand writing.

 

[axelfox]

Mr Doyle: So, you never learned cursive?
Bart: Well, I know hell, damn, bit...
Mr Doyle: Cursive handwriting, script. Do you know the multiplication tables? Long division?
Bart: I know of them.

 

[DougK62]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: So
Signatures are still necessary in society, and it's good to be able to read it if you ever come across it. So, yes. But I rarely uses it anymore.

I wouldnt say that signatures are cursive. Everyone has their own individual signature.

They're based on cursive though, you must admit.

Ever seen a girl's signature? Most of them are just their printed name - you can't tell the difference between their signature and their regular writing.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: DougK62

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: So
Signatures are still necessary in society, and it's good to be able to read it if you ever come across it. So, yes. But I rarely uses it anymore.

I wouldnt say that signatures are cursive. Everyone has their own individual signature.

They're based on cursive though, you must admit.

Ever seen a girl's signature? Most of them are just their printed name - you can't tell the difference between their signature and their regular writing.

Maybe eight year old girls.

 

[DougK62]

Cursive is much faster for taking hand-written notes. Other than that, it's a bit useless. And I do think that less time should be spent on teaching it in schools.

 

[DougK62]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: DougK62

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: So
Signatures are still necessary in society, and it's good to be able to read it if you ever come across it. So, yes. But I rarely uses it anymore.

I wouldnt say that signatures are cursive. Everyone has their own individual signature.

They're based on cursive though, you must admit.

Ever seen a girl's signature? Most of them are just their printed name - you can't tell the difference between their signature and their regular writing.

Maybe eight year old girls.

Ehhh...I'm talking about the GREAT MAJORITY of college women. I work at a college and see their signatures daily.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: DougK62

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: DougK62

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: So
Signatures are still necessary in society, and it's good to be able to read it if you ever come across it. So, yes. But I rarely uses it anymore.

I wouldnt say that signatures are cursive. Everyone has their own individual signature.

They're based on cursive though, you must admit.

Ever seen a girl's signature? Most of them are just their printed name - you can't tell the difference between their signature and their regular writing.

Maybe eight year old girls.

Ehhh...I'm talking about the GREAT MAJORITY of college women. I work at a college and see their signatures daily.

Wow.

I'd be tempted to look at them and go "No, you have to sign it, not just print your name"

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: Queasy
I rarely write in cursive anymore but I think it should still be taught.

Ditto


Ausm

 

[FoBoT]

my daughter is in 2nd grade and they are starting to learn it

<shrugs> maybe they can count it as "history"