Kansas may halt cursive education

[Marik2]

Good. Cursive is an artifact of the past. On the off chance that there is something that isn't computer text, it's almost always normal print text. I have never been in a situation where cursive was necessary. You don't even need to use it for your signature if you don't want to.

Yeah I remembered being taught cursive in 3rd grade, but it was immediately dropped in the new year.

And no one seemed to care

Good. Cursive is an artifact of the past. On the off chance that there is something that isn't computer text, it's almost always normal print text. I have never been in a situation where cursive was necessary. You don't even need to use it for your signature if you don't want to.

And even then, you don't honestly need to "know" cursive for your signature. Just write out maybe the first two letters and then follow it by squiggles and boom, you've got yourself a signature... If you can remember it.

For example, can you guess who this signature belongs to?

Spoiler

Answer:

It's JFK

wtf? That looks like an S to me and I don't recall his name having that

 

[Eccentric Lich]

About time. I only wish that cursive had been abolished before I was forced to learn it. It's always been much MUCH slower than print for me and I haven't used it since I learned it. There's absolutely no point in wasting time teaching something that has no application anywhere.

 

[Gergar12_v1legacy]

Lets see in today's world we have emails,texting, and college essays. So I support this.

 

[Stoic raptor]

I just like the look of cursive. I have been writing almost everything in cursive lately, trying to improve my handwriting and make my notes go faster and look prettier. Im glad to say that it is working so far.

 

[Bluntman1138]

The Constitution of the United States is written in cursive.

I would prefer the citizens of this country KNOW how to read the damn thing.

 

[Karfroogle]

I had to use cursive for a standardized test, recently. Maybe stopping it could be bad for that reason?

 

[lacktheknack]

Oh yay! Now my half-print-half-cursive style will be even more unique!

 

[TechnoRaven]

I'm glad there getting rid of it. It was unnecessary time for something used so little.

I'm fairly certain a study proved that they both write at the same speed anyway.

 

[NightmareWarden]

I was taught cursive (joined up writing) in elementary school and I can think of one good reason, besides signatures, for why cursive should be taught in schools: so that children will know how to read other people's cursive writing. Some of you may think that learning to read cursive should be fairly simple, however I doubt I'd be able to read cursive if I had not been taught to write it. As several fellow Americans have said already, Middle School and High School teachers typically discourage students from using cursive. After years without using cursive, it is difficult for me to read cursive. This is, supposedly, fairly legible cursive from the third page of this thread:

I can only read about half of that. Several of my teachers in the past have used cursive or some sort of hybrid, but I've never seen writing like that I am pretty sure that the largest reason that is so difficult for me to read it is due to that ridiculous slant, however I think my point still stands that someone who never learned to write cursive at all would be completely incapable of reading cursive should he or she venture to Australia or certain parts of Europe apparently.

I find the difference in culture between people in or from the UK and the USA very interesting. The idea that some people would belittle me because I chose to use a writing style that everyone is capable of reading seems very odd. I could understand the merits of learning to write in cursive if websites and novels were completely in cursive on occasion, however I have yet to see anything like that.

I fully support teaching students how to type without looking at the keyboard, however I do not think that very many students are capable of learning how while in elementary school. Even if a large number of students ARE capable of learning it, I don't think they would really retain it at that stage of their growth unless they tend to type quite regularly. On the other hand, after reading several posts in this thread I'm a bit surprised to learn that some people are very capable, speedy typists without learning how to type "properly". I guess it really isn't for everyone...

 

[Dags90]

I can only read about half of that. Several of my teachers in the past have used cursive or some sort of hybrid, but I've never seen writing like that I am pretty sure that the largest reason that is so difficult for me to read it is due to that ridiculous slant, however I think my point still stands that someone who never learned to write cursive at all would be completely incapable of reading cursive should he or she venture to Australia or certain parts of Europe apparently.

Slant is the original. I think it allows you to write slightly faster. It's definitely considered to be fancier.

 

[Hatchet90]

I have used cursive since elementary school and still use it in my college classes. Cursive is way faster and better looking than other handwriting methods as well. When it comes to a well written letter nothing beats cursive and not even a well typed e-mail is as personal as a letter written by hand. I think it should be necessary for every student to learn good handwriting, but I suppose it's just a sign of the times and I'm just getting older.

 

[Frogman54]

Citizen of Kansas here. I was taught cursive for 3 years of elementary school and since that time I only ever use cursive for my signature... I really hope this goes through because I thought it was a waste of time I could have used to learn much more important subjects.

I have no problem with it being an optional class further down the road, but I don't believe it should be required at all.

 

[surg3n]

I'm glad there getting rid of it. It was unnecessary time for something used so little.

I'm fairly certain a study proved that they both write at the same speed anyway.

This. This post explains exactly why we still need cursive... before it's too late.

 

[Knife-28]

Wow.

Just wow.

I'm amazed and appalled by this thread. Are you people serious? You still use printing to write? If you cant write in cursive in Australia by the age of 10, then the teachers start looking at you like there's something wrong with you.

Aside from when I was actually learning it, I never had a teacher call me out for not using running writing (the term I learned for it instead of cursive). Either your teachers were a little on the strange side (but then again what teachers arn't) or you went to school in a more urban area as opposed to myself who went to school in a fairly rural area.

 

[mooncalf]

Sure some of these kids will have technological futures, but many of them will need that pretty handwriting for their food vendor blackboard specials.

 

[bigwon]

just some random, sure someone has already linked it.

http://www.educationnews.org/technology/research-handwriting-spurs-brain-activity-typing-doesnt/

 

[yeti585]

Sure some of these kids will have technological futures, but many of them will need that pretty handwriting for their food vendor blackboard specials.

They print those around here. XD

I haven't used it much since I was taught it (i've forgotten how to write a few letters, but can still recognize them). The problem with it is that it is very personalized. Which is good for signatures/security but bad for legibility.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Well, its something you should probably learn at least the basics of so you can read it. Though it has been my experience that most people develop a sort of hybrid style where letters that are easy to join are, and those that aren't are left alone.

I can write with reasonable speed in block print and I do it so that anyone can read what I have written.

 

[everythingbeeps]

Yep, cursive is pointless, but as has been said, we still need to know how to sign our names, so you can't eliminate it entirely. I expect that within a decade we'll have phased out signatures as well, at least as far as legal documents and such. We'll find something else.

 

[badreaper74]

I must be in the minority because any time i write anything out its always in cursive.