Keyboards killing cursive?
Interesting article about cursive handwriting: Keyboards killing cursive?. Since I was homeschooled, my handwriting classes were probably more unconventional. But I did have to practise, practice, practice until I could write nicely in cursive. My siblings didn’t practice as much—Leonard and Lisa have bad handwriting. My cousin Mark learned D'Nealean (?sp?), which was a cross between regular lettering and cursive. And so he taught me a bit of that at family events. Now I do an odd cross. I really need to scan in some handwriting to show you all at some point 
Anyhow, I think that school kids should need to learn proper handwriting skills, because no matter how close a computer is, writing properly will still be needed for a while to come.
Comments
I was just reading an article in our local paper about the same topic. I still get compliments on my handwriting, so I guess someone taught me well.
I completely agree with you that handwriting is still a necessary skill. If nothing else, kids should be striving to write legibly.
Posted by: Brandy | June 10, 2003 03:25 AM
ever since i’ve been blogging or e-mailing, my harndwriting has significantly gotten worse. before, i would always get compliments about my handwriting. i still print more than i write cursive, but in general, it looks pathetic. at work, i write constantly... i keep a steno next to my keyboard to log the calls i work on every day. i could easily do that in notepad, but out of force of habit, i notate everything in paper. and sometimes i do both - i write notes on paper and then transfer them into our call tracking program. i have good handwriting days... but my signature is the most pathetic. i don’t sign my name Kathy on my checks. i sign it Kathleen... but it always looks like Kathl... dropping off the last 3 letters in one long squiggly. whenever i have children, i’m going to make them practice, too.
Posted by: Kathy | June 10, 2003 02:59 PM
I mainly print and have for years - or rather my own hybrid form of cursive. However, what really struck me aboiut this article is the truth about it - Jason wants to do all of his work on the computer. I know how important typing skills will be in the years to come, so I encourage him to learn how to touch-type, but at the same time, insist that he does most of his homework "the old fashioned way." He loves it when he gets to a point in a project where he can type instead of writing it all out.
Since I started blogging, IM'ing, and e-mailing, my typing speed has definitely improved - which is a really good thing considering you need it for work these days!
Posted by: Christine | June 11, 2003 07:26 PM
Actually, the highest-speed, highest-legibility handwriting tends to come from people who consistently mix the best elements of "printing" and "cursive" styles.
For more info on this (and some before/after examples of MDs whom I trained to write legibly, quickly, by helping them do this), visit my web-page, Handwriting Repair, at
http://www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair - in fact, this type of writing existed well before the types of printing & cursive now taught at school.
So have fun with it!
Posted by: Kate Gladstone | March 12, 2004 04:43 PM