Growing up we all knew beautiful cursive writing with a pen gave way to ballpoint pens and pencils. I was shocked to learn tonight, while watching the local evening news, that teaching handwriting is no longer required in many states including Michigan. WTF! Of course my wife said, Didn’t you know that? No, I did not! What’s next? Teaching them to talk being optional.

Some points from wikipedia..., which apparently is not very current on the subject.

In a 2007 survey of 200 teachers of first through third grades in all 50 American states, 90 percent of respondents said their schools required the teaching of cursive. A 2008 nationwide survey found elementary school teachers lacking formal training in teaching handwriting to students. Only 12 percent of teachers reported having taken a course in how to teach it.
In 2012, the American states of Indiana and Hawaii announced that their schools will no longer be required to teach cursive (but will still be permitted to), and instead will be required to teach "keyboard proficiency". As of 2011 the same was true of Illinois. Since the nationwide proposal of the Common Core State Standards in 2009, which do not include instruction in cursive, the standards have been adopted by 44 states as of July 2011, all of which have debated whether to augment them with cursive.

Despite the decline in the day-to-day use of cursive, it is being reintroduced to the curriculum of schools in the United States. States such as California, Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee have already mandated cursive in schools as a part of the Back to Basics program designed to maintain the integrity of cursive handwriting. Some argue that cursive is not worth teaching in schools and "in the 1960s cursive was implemented because of preference and not an educational basis; Hawaii, Indiana, and Illinois have all replaced cursive instruction with 'keyboard proficiency' and 44 other states are currently weighing similar measures." It goes on to reference numerous studies whereby learning to write in cursive is a stepping-stone to develop with positive results such as reading, etc.

Now that I think about it, it seems the cards we have gotten from our grandkids have been printed. Maybe that is all they know how to do? I plan to find out this weekend when they come over.

Guess my Peterson System diploma dated 1953 is a collector's item.

 

I seem to recall being the kid in class who got the black star on my work.
This kept the class from getting the gold star. talk about humiliation.
geez i loved that class.

it may have been fertilizing the early roots of my wonderfully adept " I don't give a s%^&" social skills.

 

Wife works at the local High School. Cursive ended some years ago. English teacher has to read birthday cards from grandparents/family because kids cannot read them. They cannot read the Bill of Rights/Constitution/Declaration of Independence. They also cannot tell time with an analog clock especially one without numbers.

If you want to keep things from kids, write it in cursive. Fortunately our kids started in private schools so they can write. I made them write a paragraph why they wanted something as kids to get them to practice writing and putting thoughts to paper. They are an exception now.

All old family documents might as well be in Greek. No one can read them. If you want to leave something for posterity, be sure it is printed in block letters.

 

when our kids were little wee tried to talk 'above them' using complex language.
didn't really work instead we just wound up with young kids with phenomenal vocabularies.

 

Now, permanent thoughts are kept in a Cloud.

 

I have worked in schools for 26 years and a high school for the past 14. I can not remember the last time I saw an assignment from a student that they had to physical write. Everything is typed now and most of it is not even turned on paper, it is all sent in electronically through the internet.

 

Wow, I guess I've been living in a cave on this topic.

Question - How do they sign their names to documents?

 

Block letters ???

 

I hated cursive writing. I remember being in second or third grade and not being any good at it. I quit writing in cursive the second I was allowed.

 

When they finally quite producing writing utensils, we may have a problem lol. Its amazing to me how far reliant we are on a outdated electrical grid, but with super high tech communication devices we now solely rely on to function throughout the day.