Gone with the … pen
October 9, 2009 by Geneva ReidPosted in: Communication, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
While e-books soon may put text books on the “endangered” list, computers, cell phones and other devices could easily send cursive writing down the same road.
Two years from now, the National Assessment of Educational Progress will administer its writing test to eighth and 11th graders on computer. In 2019, fourth graders also will take the test on computer.
Why? Because most young people just don’t write by hand anymore. In fact, many elementary schools either aren’t teaching handwriting skills or have reduced the amount of time spent teaching cursive to young students.
Does the same hold true for college students? As of two years ago, only 15% used cursive writing on the essay portion of the SATs, according to a College Board report. The other 85% printed their essays.
Those who accept – if not defend – the demise of handwriting, say it’s only practical to focus on the skills today’s students will need in 10 or 20 years from now. But others say writing is a basic form of communication, and even helps teach muscle control and hand-eye coordination.
Do you ever write in cursive – or are you like many adults who’ve developed their print/cursive mix? Let us know in the comments section below.
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October 14th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Knowing how to manipulate a computer is an invaluable skill. As a teacher, I use my laptop a lot. Nevertheless, an e-mail can never replace that handwritten letter or card with that precious, moving, unforgettable message.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:22 am
The only places I use cursive is my signature and the dollar amount on checks. And since checks are now an endangered species, it won’t be long and the only thing I’ll need handwriting for is my legal signature on paper documents.
For all other writing, I print. My handwriting has never been above C level, print or cursive, and I’m far faster printing than I am at cursive. Since I now exchange e-mail with most people I would have sent letters to 20 years ago and make my own greeting cards with software (my wife uses rubber stamps), I don’t see any need for cursive script beyond signature.
I would still argue for teaching block script (printing) since I know too many people who write themselves notes and to-do lists on paper, but even that is going away as organizer apps on cell phones take over…
October 14th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Definitely a print/cursive mix for me, and that has been the case since high school in the early ’70s. It seem to me that computer technology isn’t wholly to blame, but the various writing advances over a much longer period of time (typewriters, printing presses, etc.). There was a good article on this just recently, I believe in Arts & Letters Daily.
We have a sampler hanging on our kitchen wall, with the alphabet stitched out in various styles of writing. No doubt loss of this skill was decried as the demise of something important to young women. And what about short-hand as a necessary skill for office assistants? Times change!
October 14th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
“…and even helps teach muscle control and hand-eye coordination.”
OK, spend five minutes with a kid in front of a video game and that kid will school you in any sort of hand eye coordination skill that you ever developed over your entire life of handwriting. As you walk away from that, the kid will have completed a texting session announcing their victory to 4 friends simultaneously using a numeric keypad.
au revoir papier et stylo
October 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Ironically, a physician friend of mine (who produces medical software) is working on a program to teach handwriting via the iPhone: in hopes to increase handwriting skill among doctors and others in our technological age.
The program (slated for a late October/early November release) is called BetterLetters — you can reach its creator (Harvey Castro, MD) through his company: Deep Pocket Series Software at http://www.deeppocketseries.com/Better_Letters.html or http://www.deeppocketseries.com/Contact_Us.html