Comments on: Is Handwriting Irrelevant?

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:06:29 +0000

No one is arguing that writing is obsolete… just the cursive form. The argument that “cursive is faster” is absurd. You’re very likely to be much more proficient at an activity that you practice more often. Who cares what your writing looks like? It’s the content and legibility that ultimately counts. A well dressed idiot is still an idiot.

By: joanne DeGiacomo Petrie

joanne DeGiacomo Petrie — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:26:57 +0000

The fact that handwriting is “irrelevant” is far from the truth. The human body is wired for movement. Typing on a keyboard is not movement, it is merely tapping keys to see a perfectly formed letter on a page. Most human beings will remember something if they write it – going through the motions if you will. While writing letters of the alphabet, many modalities are being used. The writer has to stay within lines, properly grasp a writing implement (which builds muscle strength), recall strokes that make up a letter, organize the strokes, synthesize them in an orderly fashion, then add spacing so everything does not run together. Letter formation is not an easy task. Today’s youngsters come from an immediate gratification
point of view. The goal is to get the task done quickly.

If handwriting is “irrelevant” what would happen if the electricity went out for days like it did on the east coast last month? This dying art and important skill needs to be nurtured,revived and viewed with the respect and importance it deserves.

By: B

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 05:37:39 +0000

You said “still has its’ place”. I think you meant “its” meaning belonging to it.

By: stupid stevie

stupid stevie — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:26:06 +0000

this article made me puke

By: Estela

Estela — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:46:24 +0000

I learned the d’nealian style and I found that cursive takes longer for me to form my letters (three humps for the letter m?!) My hand also tires faster from writing in cursive because I do not get as many breaks from my hand being frozen in one position as with cursive.

The only contemporary uses of cursive are signatures (which can be individualized to the point of being unrecognizable) and writing a contract before a standardized test such as the SAT, or the Praxis. Printing is also easier to read because it is harder to mistake one letter for another (such as an m from an n, an r for an n, a q from a g, etc.) Not using cursive takes the individuality out of writing but printing is more practical for today’s uses of handwriting.

By: Thinking About Cursive | The Principal of Change

Thinking About Cursive | The Principal of Change — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:00:20 +0000

[...] Many would argue that cursive is an essential skill as the increased speed is beneficial to our students: You might argue that printing works just as well during exams and for taking notes in class… if you can print what is the purpose of cursive? The answer is that when time is limited, cursive writing is quicker and more fluid because the pen doesn’t leave the page as much as with printing, and there are fewer stops and starts. This means that you can write more during an exam, or take down more of what the teacher said during class. (Oxford Learning » Is Handwriting Irrelevant?) [...]

By: Charlie A. Roy

Charlie A. Roy — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:47:30 +0000

Cursive was designed as an innovation to make handwriting quicker. In the digital age it is irrelevant. Most schools teach hand writing in third grade and spend hours having students copying letters and words to practice cursive. But even better yet we occasionally find teachers arguing over what type of cursive to teach. Do we teach D’Nealian style or Zaner-Bloser. The problem is it is irrelevant. We should be providing laptops around 5th grade maybe earlier. Text to Speech software will continue to improve. It’s like arguing we should still teach morse code. Because honestly you might just find yourself trapped in a dark castle without a cell phone and the only way to call for help will be morse code.

I’ll also write out this comment in cursive and mail it to you.

By: PG

PG — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:29:19 +0000

As a college instructor, it is absolutely appalling to note the increasing number of students who are unable to take efficient notes during a lecture – because their handwriting skills are abominable. It has become increasingly obvious that these young people are simply unable to keep up with material being presented to them in class. I’m forced to slow down, even during power point presentations, because some of these kids are scribbling everything out in manuscript, rather than cursive.

By: C.S.

C.S. — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:19:51 +0000

Being a teenager who constantly takes notes, I use cursive writing all the time. I can take many more notes much more effectively than printing or even using a computer. With a little practice, my cursive is legible and a timesaver…it also looks pretty cool compared to my friends sloppy printing. I really do think it is a necessity.

By: Eva

Eva — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:17:01 +0000

I love my cursive writing it’s so pretty and faster then print. I’d rather use my cursive writing then laptop for notes since it’s much faster. I learned in grade 3 perfectly and it was better then the teachers LOL.