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mopinko

(73,732 posts)

29. betty edwards- drawing on the right side of the brain.

Sun May 31, 2015, 12:20 PM

May 2015

this book came out about 30 years ago. it fascinated me at the time.
she has a chapter about penmanship as an art form. like any other art form, it grows a child's brain connections.

and just an aside, she posited that the pictorial languages result in a more connected brain than strictly letter form languages. pet scans back this up. one of those fascinating little factoids.

that said, i homeschooled for 8 years and found it impossible to get my kids to practice cursive like i did as a kid. to this day, even the 2 kids who went to school do not use it.
we did a lot of work on computers, and my kids type so fast sometimes i think their fingers are going to leave their hands.
tho i know that that means some parts of my brain are wired differently than their, i know the reverse is also true. kids have built in detectors for useless knowledge. that is why they so eagerly suck up the new.

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Cursive writing a DEAD SKILL??? [View all] packman May 2015 OP

So I guess when they need to write, they just print? treestar May 2015 #1

I'm 54 and have forgotten most cursive lettering, especially the capitals. kentauros May 2015 #6

Way easier to forge printed letters then cursive yeoman6987 May 2015 #9

Let me put it this way: kentauros May 2015 #12

Wow. I haven't used a thumb print except at Disney. yeoman6987 May 2015 #18

I've used them at banks, kentauros May 2015 #22

Good point treestar May 2015 #114

Same age; same situation. Block caps always. cherokeeprogressive May 2015 #37

Same here -- all caps, with smaller letters for "lower case". Codeine May 2015 #55

Yes, there are a lot of forms you can do online now treestar May 2015 #112

52 here, and gave up cursive in high school TheTimmer May 2015 #113

I was watching my girlfriend text in pinyun and watching the machine translate it to characters Johonny May 2015 #15

I have only printed for the last 30 years. nt Logical May 2015 #158

They're stopped teaching it in school here. Avalux May 2015 #2

Why do you think it doesn't bode well? Blue_Adept May 2015 #3

Because complete dependence on technology is folly. n/t Avalux May 2015 #8

Agree. nt cwydro May 2015 #17

+1. AngryOldDem May 2015 #44

Yup. nt Nay Jun 2015 #178

So, should we all learn to cut quills... Adrahil May 2015 #48

And in that moving on, we must not abandon teaching our kids to be self-sufficient. Avalux May 2015 #52

Of course they'll be able to function without them. Codeine May 2015 #65

100, 000 Detroit residents experienced water shut-offs in 2014 Pooka Fey May 2015 #101

Learning an obsolete writing system is not "self-suffiecient" Adrahil May 2015 #105

You have a point but then treestar May 2015 #115

Very short sighted to abandon a "Green" no-energy input skill like cursive writing. Pooka Fey May 2015 #74

Why? Codeine May 2015 #82

Oy vey. Pooka Fey May 2015 #95

Oy gevalt TheTimmer May 2015 #103

Did I write or communicate in the slightest way that it was? No. Pooka Fey May 2015 #104

Yes TheTimmer May 2015 #118

I'm sorry, who are you, exactly? Have we met? Pooka Fey May 2015 #127

Yes, I know what "Green" means, oh Insufferable One. Codeine May 2015 #107

Well, "She Who Knowest Not How to Conjugate a Compound Verb" Pooka Fey May 2015 #111

That would be ""He Who Knowest Not How to Conjugate a Compound Verb", actually. Codeine May 2015 #116

You do realize that creating ink and paper burns a whole lot of energy, right? jeff47 May 2015 #131

What? Adrahil May 2015 #106

I've lost track of the link, but there were one or more studies that showed that it helped the brain Erich Bloodaxe BSN May 2015 #10

You said this much better than I did, thanks. Avalux May 2015 #21

betty edwards- drawing on the right side of the brain. mopinko May 2015 #29

That's a good point. Some things are worth learning treestar May 2015 #120

Your brain uses two different parts when writing versus typing. Writing has shown a more Exilednight May 2015 #121

Writing does not require cursive. (nt) jeff47 May 2015 #136

Cursive vs printing vs typing all use different parts of the brain. Exilednight May 2015 #138

Creativity doesn't require cursive. jeff47 May 2015 #142

Here's the thing, the more computers are used, the more people Exilednight May 2015 #144

The genius of Hemingway or Twain wasn't in handwriting, Codeine May 2015 #146

I have no idea who that picture is of. The majority of scientist don't Exilednight May 2015 #150

Well of course that's written down, but it's also not cursive Codeine May 2015 #151

Scientific equations are a combination, and the notes that go with them Exilednight May 2015 #153

That's Harlan Ellison. He's a master. Codeine May 2015 #152

I've never heard of him. I just looked him up on wiki and can honestly Exilednight May 2015 #156

". . . a watered down version of Joss Whedon". Codeine May 2015 #159

Stephen King and Tom Clancy are best selling authors with tons of awards, but I Exilednight May 2015 #161

He's not on that plane. Codeine May 2015 #162

Says you. Many will call King and Clancy masters at what Exilednight May 2015 #164

I absolutely would. Codeine May 2015 #165

It was a pleasure. Exilednight May 2015 #167

You do realize it's possible to write without using cursive, right? (nt) jeff47 May 2015 #133

I agree - and do not think it is a wise thing to do. inanna May 2015 #163

Or teach them to print, just like they see on their computers, phones, tablets, signs, packaging... NightWatcher May 2015 #4

You mean just like when they taught kids cursive? jeff47 May 2015 #134

You didn't read my post at all. NightWatcher May 2015 #139

I read it as implying they don't currently teach kids to print at all. (nt) jeff47 May 2015 #141

I grew up in the 70's with the heavy focus on it Blue_Adept May 2015 #5

Same here Populist_Prole May 2015 #89

I hated it HassleCat May 2015 #7

Fuck cursive. X_Digger May 2015 #11

Did that "F" bring down your Grade Point Average packman May 2015 #20

I spent a lifetime being criticized for my penmanship, but printing in no better than script. hollysmom May 2015 #83

Anyone who wants to read or write cursive Mariana Jun 2015 #173

Me too. catrose May 2015 #130

As another lefty, I wasn't graded on penmanship, but one of my teachers in particular got on my case raccoon Jun 2015 #171

Another lefty here and I had a difficult time with penmanship in school. RebelOne Jun 2015 #175

My daughter is ten and she learned it. Codeine May 2015 #13

I have gorgeous, clearly legible cursive writing TexasMommaWithAHat May 2015 #23

You need to take your time with it. AngryOldDem May 2015 #45

I suppose that's true. Codeine May 2015 #53

Cursive is demonstrably easier to learn than printing. It should be taught first, not printing. KittyWampus May 2015 #14

I definitely believe all of that is true TexasMommaWithAHat May 2015 #25

+1 Go Vols May 2015 #39

Easier for lefties??? Not in my experience Maeve May 2015 #97

Some good points too treestar May 2015 #119

12 consecutive grading periods of Unsatisfactory in handwriting 1939 May 2015 #16

One reason I'm glad to be done with graduate school.... tammywammy May 2015 #96

The old "blue book" exams 1939 May 2015 #109

I taught third grade... 49jim May 2015 #19

3rd grade's where I learned cursive, back in dark ages. Led to earning money. Panich52 May 2015 #54

If cursive is dropped, how will people do signatures? fadedrose May 2015 #24

handwriting experts already know how to identify print phantom power May 2015 #35

Ending a sentence in a preposition is something up with which I will not put. Codeine May 2015 #69

It's legal to start a sentence with a gerund fadedrose May 2015 #86

To Hell with cursive, kids should be taught shorthand Brother Buzz May 2015 #26

Were you as shocked when they stopped making phonograph cylinders? Scootaloo May 2015 #27

I refuse to buy a car until Detroit makes the 8-track deck standard again. nt Codeine May 2015 #72

"Detroit makes..."? I don't understand that phrase n/t Scootaloo May 2015 #76

Archaicisms upon archaicisms. Codeine May 2015 #80

Not until you give me back my betamax i let you borrow to record that special "Family Ties" episode Scootaloo May 2015 #81

That is SOooo COoool!!! I've acquired a secret form of writing!!! HereSince1628 May 2015 #28

There are so many reasons to learn cursive SheilaT May 2015 #30

Some districts teach it. Or, rather, have revived it. Igel May 2015 #31

I blame DU, they won't let me post in cursive. n/t PoliticAverse May 2015 #32

I guess we're on our back to signing by "making our mark" tritsofme May 2015 #33

I mushroom-stamped all my mortgage paperwork. Codeine May 2015 #71

oh codeine! tammywammy May 2015 #98

The text of our country's original Constitution is in cursive!! sketchy May 2015 #34

Really!? Adrahil May 2015 #50

Yes REALLY sketchy May 2015 #88

I certainly hope that some distant day some enterprising individual Codeine May 2015 #58

lets all just become machines olddots May 2015 #36

. . . he said on his machine, attached to other, distant machines by still further machines. Codeine May 2015 #64

Thereby making most (all?) of the founding documents and much of US history Cerridwen May 2015 #38

You don't have to be taught to write cursive in order to read it. Codeine May 2015 #57

It helps; especially with some of the antiquated English and legal usage. Cerridwen May 2015 #61

Fifteen minuters. Ode to Mr. Knight. PufPuf23 May 2015 #40

I know how to *write* in cursive Aerows May 2015 #41

My kid learned it in 3rd grade this past year. We'll be practicing all summer. aikoaiko May 2015 #42

Yep. It's no longer needed, apparently. n/t AngryOldDem May 2015 #43

Next we'll drop Cuneiform & Carolingian Minuscule, and where the hell will we be then? Orrex May 2015 #46

If cursive is so much better for reading why is EVERYTHING in print? MattBaggins May 2015 #73

That's why prescriptions and emergency exits are labeled in cursive. Orrex May 2015 #78

I found hooking my letters up cursive-style so superior Codeine May 2015 #84

Whoa. Orrex May 2015 #87

cursive is not just a matter of handwriting ProdigalJunkMail May 2015 #47

I'm amused by this notion, Codeine May 2015 #63

How do all those people in other countries ever learn to read? MattBaggins May 2015 #75

cute... ProdigalJunkMail May 2015 #100

well what about THIS? drthais May 2015 #49

This. If teaching cursive dissapears, how long before old documents and manuscrips are lunamagica May 2015 #56

The ubiquity of computers will make cursive in any language archaic in short order. nt Codeine May 2015 #60

Can you read medieval manuscripts? Adrahil May 2015 #108

You can read it without writing it. nt Codeine May 2015 #59

That's simply not the case. Orrex May 2015 #62

I can read things written in Old English and German MattBaggins May 2015 #77

Nonsense..... Adrahil May 2015 #110

You mean like having to learn Latin or Greek in order to decode historical documents? jeff47 May 2015 #137

He could learn it. Same as if somebody wanted to read Chaucer in Middle English--learn it. nt raccoon Jun 2015 #172

Luckily, I took typing about 50 years ago. I can type about as fast as talk and much faster than I Hoyt May 2015 #51

My signature is goddamned joke. Codeine May 2015 #67

what does this do the the value of autographs collected? hollysmom May 2015 #85

They don't train kids to drive a cart with buggy-whips either. backscatter712 May 2015 #66

These kids today don't even know the difference between "Gee!" and "Haw!" Codeine May 2015 #70

I still write in Palmer. It's faster than printing. However arthritic Cleita May 2015 #68

I print. Loryn May 2015 #79

I am sure it will persist as an artform/hobby Bosonic May 2015 #90

So long as people can READ cursive to access old documents csziggy May 2015 #91

It's a problem for modern documents too TexasBushwhacker May 2015 #117

Cursive writing, reading, math etc. quite sad still_one May 2015 #92

I daresay the generation in elementary school now Codeine May 2015 #94

not sure about that. I would say most people I encounter cannot even count change still_one May 2015 #157

Few of those people are in elementary school, however. Codeine May 2015 #160

I had to learn the Palmer method back in the 50's, Greybnk48 May 2015 #93

Hey, remember in the George Zimmerman trial packman May 2015 #99

I find it useful (for writing notes, postcards, the few letters I do write) but my kids never use it Arugula Latte May 2015 #102

I totally disagree with doing away with cursive. Blue_In_AK May 2015 #122

My cursive was always a bunch of crabbed-up bullshit Codeine May 2015 #125

I studied handwriting analysis briefly. Blue_In_AK May 2015 #168

Well the good news is that most of us oldies will have a lifetime career Baitball Blogger May 2015 #123

Actually, I think it's important to balance hard knowledge with creativity and soft skills. Oneironaut May 2015 #124

How exactly does joining my letters together Codeine May 2015 #126

Because it shows that there's more than one way to write something. Oneironaut May 2015 #143

Cursive was taught because its use was expected in both business and social communication. Xithras May 2015 #128

Mine should be dead, it's atrocious Warpy May 2015 #129

Are essay tests also obsolete? An honest question... Pooka Fey May 2015 #132

It only works when the grader can read the essay. jeff47 May 2015 #140

Yeah, the argument that cursive is faster is ridiculous. Mariana Jun 2015 #176

One can, with practice, print very rapidly. Codeine May 2015 #145

I hate to see public school students deprived of a choice in the matter Pooka Fey May 2015 #148

Were you my student? LOL! I used to buy exam Blue Books at the community college to use for my h.s. WinkyDink May 2015 #155

We can check a handwriting sample to find out... Pooka Fey Jun 2015 #169

Writing is a tool LynnTTT May 2015 #135

It's good. Puglover May 2015 #147

Considering it's a worthless skill sub.theory May 2015 #149

Gotta study for the NCLB tests! WinkyDink May 2015 #154

It's obselete, like PE, learning history, state capitals, literature, and 95% of what's taught Chathamization May 2015 #166

With the economic middle class gutted, no reason for middle class social skills Pooka Fey Jun 2015 #170

Cuneiform writing a DEAD SKILL? brooklynite Jun 2015 #174

They've reinstated it here in the Chesterfield Co., VA, schools. My grandson is Nay Jun 2015 #177

I still use it. My penmanship is good, and cursive is way faster than printing. nt Zorra Jun 2015 #179