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wishstar

(5,842 posts)

184. Same here- thankful I can read my Quaker ancestors' diaries and wills and letters

Thu Mar 16, 2017, 10:00 AM

Mar 2017

and my non-Quaker relatives' Civil War letters

And of course I still have all of my WW1 Vet Grandpa's letters to me when I went away to college, and my WW11 Vet Dad's letters.

But I never fully appreciated my ability to read cursive until recently when I finally located my Italian grandparents' elusive Ellis Island ship manifestos from 1903 and 1906, written in hard- to- decipher flowery cursive with explanations and descriptions of their home villages, destinations, names of other relatives etc, by meticulous anonymous govt record keepers.

My Italian grandmother was totally illiterate, but her and Grandpa made sure their kids were educated including my Mom, who got a master's in library science. Funny that their 29 yr old gr-grandson who is a MD has nearly undecipherable non-cursive chicken scratch handwriting but at least his parents and grandparents made sure he can read their cursive writing

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My high school senior nephew cannot read or write cursive [View all] jpak Mar 2017 OP

Really? No way?? How benld74 Mar 2017 #1

Apparently it is not taught in school anymore jpak Mar 2017 #4

I totally mis-read your post benld74 Mar 2017 #6

Sad jpak Mar 2017 #9

Is he interested in learning? vlyons Mar 2017 #126

Can he shoe a horse, thatch a roof, make candles, or operate a telegraph? FSogol Mar 2017 #2

He can't read his great grandmother's letters jpak Mar 2017 #5

Does he have some cognitive difficulties? Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2017 #10

No - he is super smart and reads several real books a week - every week. jpak Mar 2017 #14

This is what I predicted PatSeg Mar 2017 #210

See my post #22 below. nt tblue37 Mar 2017 #25

Teach him to read cursive. Like calligraphy, it is not really a needed skill that schools should FSogol Mar 2017 #13

But it is a good skill LisaM Mar 2017 #33

How can reading cursive enhance motor skills? Thor_MN Mar 2017 #67

Writing it is the skill. That is generally how people learn to read it. LisaM Mar 2017 #127

But the post you replied to did not suggest learning to write it, just read it. Thor_MN Mar 2017 #138

I guess I saw it as a broader issue..... LisaM Mar 2017 #177

You used "it". You clearly did not read the post you replied to. Thor_MN Mar 2017 #232

Please stop. LisaM Mar 2017 #233

Please stop yourself. I don't think writing cursive is of nuch value. Thor_MN Mar 2017 #234

Why Writing by Hand Cound Make You Smarter Petrushka Mar 2017 #129

You missed the point. Thor_MN Mar 2017 #141

I hand write things and I know how to write cursive...I never use it. brooklynite Mar 2017 #146

I disagree....It's hardly as anachronistic as caligraohy whathehell Mar 2017 #36

Also encourages artistic abilities CountAllVotes Mar 2017 #77

Yes.. whathehell Mar 2017 #150

Teach it in art class? Adrahil Mar 2017 #167

If he wants to read them, he should learn to read cursive. Mariana Mar 2017 #98

YES! Orrex Mar 2017 #162

Can you do something to improve the grandmother's cursive? AtheistCrusader Mar 2017 #188

I bet his great grandmother couldn't code in java, though. Warren DeMontague Mar 2017 #255

a better question would be if the most well-educated Chiquitita Mar 2017 #15

When I was in grade school jpak Mar 2017 #21

And ALL of them MyOwnPeace Mar 2017 #61

Thank you.. whathehell Mar 2017 #39

Thank you Idoru Mar 2017 #40

That's fine, but.... Adrahil Mar 2017 #64

Teaching forming the letters Chiquitita Mar 2017 #158

That's propaganda Orrex Mar 2017 #163

Either it is known to be false propaganda, or you simply don't accept it Chiquitita Mar 2017 #176

I have seen the pro-cursive evidence, but I I don't find it convincing. Orrex Mar 2017 #183

Ha ha! I'd forgotten. Chiquitita Mar 2017 #186

LOL--and I replied to it with great verbosity Orrex Mar 2017 #191

I read it and this was my reply Chiquitita Mar 2017 #197

I agree! Chiquitita Mar 2017 #208

MAGA sarcasmo Mar 2017 #54

My Morse is rusty, Mendocino Mar 2017 #91

Nothing really disappears, there are still blacksmiths. FSogol Mar 2017 #181

Why, I'll bet his buggy-whip skills are atrocious. lagomorph777 Mar 2017 #179

My mother, who died in '92, wrote beautiful cursive. I still have her letters to me from Solly Mack Mar 2017 #3

Typewriters were around for more than a century before the internet jpak Mar 2017 #8

I still enjoy receiving handwritten letters. Solly Mack Mar 2017 #16

My mom and grandfather had a beautiful "hand". panader0 Mar 2017 #90

I hope they keep it. Solly Mack Mar 2017 #110

and handwritten thank you notes were de rigeur. On cream colored cards. CTyankee Mar 2017 #242

Neither can my 17 year old grandson. AJT Mar 2017 #7

Would you believe some kiddos can't tell time - TIME - from asiliveandbreathe Mar 2017 #11

I'm 36 crazycatlady Mar 2017 #26

I grew up with military time (USAF brat / entlisted) Skittles Mar 2017 #76

You have a watch with a 24-hour dial? JustABozoOnThisBus Mar 2017 #147

24-hour time makes more sense going from 0-23, rather than 24-1-23 Silent3 Mar 2017 #164

I have....no idea what "watch your six o'clock" means Skittles Mar 2017 #228

"Watch your six" JustABozoOnThisBus Mar 2017 #229

huh Skittles Mar 2017 #238

Interesting... Stellar Mar 2017 #153

Thanks to Velcro, some never learn to tie shoelaces, either. nt tblue37 Mar 2017 #28

To me, analog clocks help with the concept of tome. LisaM Mar 2017 #32

WHAT?? Idoru Mar 2017 #34

I've had to teach HS juniors "clockwise". Igel Mar 2017 #55

This is a failure on the parents part Idoru Mar 2017 #92

I bought BOTH my grandsons small watches so they could learn to read Jim Beard Mar 2017 #124

I'm 64 and I have trouble reading a dial clock face csziggy Mar 2017 #83

Did you ever have a watch with a dial? muriel_volestrangler Mar 2017 #137

Yes, but both my older sister and I have a problem - watches stop working csziggy Mar 2017 #144

Your comment about age reminded me of something. AtheistCrusader Mar 2017 #223

Eventually they will have to drop that test because fewer and fewer can pass it! csziggy Mar 2017 #230

That's a parental thing. AtheistCrusader Mar 2017 #190

My daughter can't janterry Mar 2017 #12

I can't read my own. safeinOhio Mar 2017 #17

Does he use a quill pen? Nevernose Mar 2017 #18

It's faster. Igel Mar 2017 #62

It's faster for some people, not for others. Mariana Mar 2017 #112

More likely, there'll be an app for that. Silent3 Mar 2017 #182

Already exists. AtheistCrusader Mar 2017 #192

I'd give up cursive, such that it is, to be able to double thumb a phone keyboard. Hoyt Mar 2017 #19

That sounds dirty jpak Mar 2017 #23

You have a point. Hoyt Mar 2017 #43

Daily postl winner !!! pangaia Mar 2017 #71

they've been phasing it out for a while Afromania Mar 2017 #20

I wonder why that is? NWCorona Mar 2017 #94

Takes away from common core I suppose Afromania Mar 2017 #100

I don't remember cursive instruction involving any creativity. Mariana Mar 2017 #128

Where I went to school Afromania Mar 2017 #212

It is a common problem among my college students. They cannot read my comments on their tblue37 Mar 2017 #22

Its not a problem. Its a decision by some people not to teach their children msanthrope Mar 2017 #35

Not to bust your chops too hard.... Adrahil Mar 2017 #60

Oh, thank you............. MyOwnPeace Mar 2017 #75

When writing an in-class essay or exam they are not allowed to use electronic devices, tblue37 Mar 2017 #113

I am loving this thread for the different insights. clarkrd Mar 2017 #123

Sure. As you indicate so clearly, being able to hand write Hortensis Mar 2017 #134

Being able to write in exam books more quickly... Adrahil Mar 2017 #166

You can write plain hand with a quill....and commoners did. msanthrope Mar 2017 #143

You can.... Adrahil Mar 2017 #165

So cursive is really white privilege? GulfCoast66 Mar 2017 #69

It's interesting that a Quaker school is demeaning cursive csziggy Mar 2017 #111

Dude....just because kids don't write cursive doesn't mean they can't read it. msanthrope Mar 2017 #142

It was implicit in your comment that cursive could not be read if not written csziggy Mar 2017 #148

No, it wasn't "implicit." You inferred that using cursive was a successful means to msanthrope Mar 2017 #151

Some can, but many who don't write cursive also cannot read it. nt tblue37 Mar 2017 #220

Wish I'd read that post first. Thread over. Orrex Mar 2017 #157

written language taught to over privileged whites so that their servants could not see their letters cwydro Mar 2017 #169

I have no doubt of their penmanship skills. But, are you advocating that their education msanthrope Mar 2017 #193

My point was in regard to your comment that cusive was some sort of privilege. cwydro Mar 2017 #200

Cursive was a privilege. So was literacy. nt msanthrope Mar 2017 #213

Don't most of them take notes on a tablet or phone? Adrahil Mar 2017 #65

How do students taking notes on tablet or phone draw a diagram? muriel_volestrangler Mar 2017 #139

With a stylus TransitJohn Mar 2017 #196

On a phone? Tiny area (nt) muriel_volestrangler Mar 2017 #199

Not on today's phones n/t kcr Mar 2017 #204

They're not even A5 size muriel_volestrangler Mar 2017 #206

I'm trying to think how hard it would be to self-learn cursive as an adult. xor Mar 2017 #118

There are books available, written for adults Mariana Mar 2017 #122

I wonder how many people use those? xor Mar 2017 #243

Just like any other skill people learn after they leave school Mariana Mar 2017 #245

You're arguing that they should learn a moribund skill for your convenience Orrex Mar 2017 #159

What's a blackboard? TransitJohn Mar 2017 #194

Those damn doctor's presciption's ruined it for everyone! dubyadiprecession Mar 2017 #24

In college I was mocked for writing in cursive TlalocW Mar 2017 #27

Good. My daughter's Quaker school did not teach cursive because of its elitist origin. msanthrope Mar 2017 #29

It's also a slap in the face for southpaws Orrex Mar 2017 #161

I am a lefty...and frustrated my grade school nuns who tied my left hand down msanthrope Mar 2017 #195

You're lucky that they didn't hack your hand from your wrist and burn it. Orrex Mar 2017 #201

you had lefty scissors ? rickford66 Mar 2017 #252

The ones I had in school were about as effective as rubbing two marbles together Orrex Mar 2017 #253

We do adapt to the righty stuff rickford66 Mar 2017 #258

One modern equivalent to that... Orrex Mar 2017 #259

The very first time I used a mouse I decided to use both hands rickford66 Mar 2017 #260

It was developed because a running script made efficient use of a quill... Act_of_Reparation Mar 2017 #168

Um, you realize Cursive is older than the 'general population' being able to read AT ALL right? AtheistCrusader Mar 2017 #221

It's really easy, and quite a useful skill. nt JEFF9K Mar 2017 #30

I had read that college admitting officers were have a hard time getting LiberalArkie Mar 2017 #31

a signature is whatever the fuck you want it to be. msanthrope Mar 2017 #37

Why didn't his parrents kacekwl Mar 2017 #38

I taught my daughter the social justice origins of cursive, rather than cursive. nt msanthrope Mar 2017 #41

Oh FFS, where do you get this stuff from?!?!? X_Digger Mar 2017 #88

The Quakers. Think they might have a better handle on social justice than a tv msanthrope Mar 2017 #140

If what you are suggesting is correct about what they teach, then no. They don't. AtheistCrusader Mar 2017 #224

I'll trust historians, not a bunch of religious nuts, thanks. X_Digger Mar 2017 #237

The History Channel? And as an atheist, I'm disgusted you would broad-brush the Friends like msanthrope Mar 2017 #239

That was the first link of many, if you google 'the history of cursive writing'. X_Digger Mar 2017 #240

You really have it out for cursive don't you GulfCoast66 Mar 2017 #117

Oh, my! TexasMommaWithAHat Mar 2017 #236

Exactly! Duppers Mar 2017 #175

I was shocked to find out the same thing about my grandson Rorey Mar 2017 #42

I woke up in the middle of the night once WhiteTara Mar 2017 #44

Are you Gen X? bunnies Mar 2017 #81

I'm Gen X, and I can barely write cursive. I can read it but I was trained in paleography as an anneboleyn Mar 2017 #93

Really? bunnies Mar 2017 #99

My grandmother passed last year, clarkrd Mar 2017 #107

If you wanted to read those letters, and couldn't do it Mariana Mar 2017 #136

I would definitely drag myself carcass to a library or bookstore. bunnies Mar 2017 #173

I'm a baby boomer WhiteTara Mar 2017 #187

I love my stick! bunnies Mar 2017 #202

My grandmother WhiteTara Mar 2017 #211

Cursive can help kids with dyslexia. I'm teaching it to my kids. EllieBC Mar 2017 #45

As a dyslexic I can attest to this... Docreed2003 Mar 2017 #74

It's rather simple, really........... MyOwnPeace Mar 2017 #80

I think it's invaluable... Docreed2003 Mar 2017 #89

My first grade daughter can read cursive... cbdo2007 Mar 2017 #46

They are literally not teaching it at all in my grandsons' school. Except for signatures. LAS14 Mar 2017 #95

My 20 year old had a teacher in high school that required all essays to be written in cursive. izzybella Mar 2017 #47

I make my university students write out their recitation assigments jpak Mar 2017 #52

I pretty much always write my notes out by hand. xor Mar 2017 #121

30 years of cursive Afromania Mar 2017 #102

I know that learning to write cursive is really hard for some kids TexasBushwhacker Mar 2017 #48

I can teach left handed kids to write cursive. Blue_true Mar 2017 #246

I agree TexasBushwhacker Mar 2017 #250

I'm going to go google how to write a capitol Q clarkrd Mar 2017 #49

That's funny Rorey Mar 2017 #51

Here ya go jpak Mar 2017 #56

He was so good! NWCorona Mar 2017 #97

Kinda looks like a fancy number 2. NT Adrahil Mar 2017 #68

Looks like a fancy #2 CountAllVotes Mar 2017 #78

That's odd - perhaps it's an American thing? I've never come across that in Britain muriel_volestrangler Mar 2017 #145

You loop an "O" and at the bottom of the loop quickly reverse the stroke, do a tight Blue_true Mar 2017 #247

Younger people can't count back change either Rorey Mar 2017 #50

I didn't learn to count back change Mariana Mar 2017 #133

ROFL about the bushels and pecks Rorey Mar 2017 #149

Or drive a Manual car. sarcasmo Mar 2017 #53

OR GET OFF OF MY LAWN!!!111 jpak Mar 2017 #58

We were allowed to ditch all cursive in the sixth grade JenniferJuniper Mar 2017 #57

After fifth grade, we could write how we wanted to. Blue_true Mar 2017 #248

My cursive was only good if I spent time on it; JenniferJuniper Mar 2017 #257

My #2 son is a college sophomore studying physics. Laffy Kat Mar 2017 #59

Hoo controlles sppel chekk& jpak Mar 2017 #66

Is it a particular person's handwriting that he can't read, or ecstatic Mar 2017 #63

Cursive in general jpak Mar 2017 #70

My writing is a mix of printing and cursive. roamer65 Mar 2017 #72

I am an academic and my handwriting is TERRIBLE. I am a Gen Xer and by high school we were anneboleyn Mar 2017 #96

Another Gen-Xer here with horrible handwriting kcr Mar 2017 #207

Sad. northoftheborder Mar 2017 #73

You know what this means? Generic Brad Mar 2017 #79

Hahaha! bunnies Mar 2017 #82

What are they going to do with old handwritten items CountAllVotes Mar 2017 #84

Right. No one will ever learn to read cursive on their own. Mariana Mar 2017 #106

That's what I have been wondering as I read this thread! csziggy Mar 2017 #109

neither can my son, the magnum cum laude, 1st in his class. mopinko Mar 2017 #85

It is the only way I can still write CountAllVotes Mar 2017 #86

I write lefty rickford66 Mar 2017 #87

You had a bad writing teacher. nt Blue_true Mar 2017 #249

I love cursive and the benefits to the brain from learning it is NWCorona Mar 2017 #101

I keep pointing this out LWolf Mar 2017 #171

They're not even teaching it GP6971 Mar 2017 #103

Good ghostsinthemachine Mar 2017 #104

Want to have a laugh? grantcart Mar 2017 #105

HAHAHA retrowire Mar 2017 #217

It's more of a comment on how technology, while helping grantcart Mar 2017 #226

I do agree that there's an overreliance on technology retrowire Mar 2017 #231

One more reason I hated school... cursive. hunter Mar 2017 #108

They'll be teaching Russian cursive soon enough NamesDave Mar 2017 #114

LOL treestar Mar 2017 #160

I always thought they included cursive writng in curriculums b/c of the cognitive benefits AgadorSparticus Mar 2017 #115

I guess not many people travel to Cursia any more, so there's not much call to speak it. Binkie The Clown Mar 2017 #116

I have several letters, written by one of my paternal... 3catwoman3 Mar 2017 #119

If you can't test it on a computer AwakeAtLast Mar 2017 #120

wow MFM008 Mar 2017 #125

But if he can tweet he can be Precedent Rollo Mar 2017 #130

I'm close to two young people who can't read or write cursive. democrank Mar 2017 #131

I don't see that it matters. If a young person wanted to learn cursive, say raccoon Mar 2017 #132

I can't either and I graduated in 1977 whistler162 Mar 2017 #135

I'm 50 years old and have trouble reading cursive. wcast Mar 2017 #152

Important skill, since so many letters and records are in cursive wishstar Mar 2017 #154

Good. It's a worthless skill on which no class time should be wasted. Orrex Mar 2017 #155

Do you like art? For me it is like air and water...it sustains life. Chiquitita Mar 2017 #185

This message was self-deleted by its author Orrex Mar 2017 #189

Experimenting with handwriting in school Mariana Mar 2017 #218

I must be showing my age because I can't even imagine this. Vinca Mar 2017 #156

Same here- thankful I can read my Quaker ancestors' diaries and wills and letters wishstar Mar 2017 #184

What interesting relatives! Vinca Mar 2017 #219

I enjoyed growing up in old house with attic full of letters, diaries and old postcards wishstar Mar 2017 #222

Lucky you. Unfortunately, my ancestors weren't keepers. Vinca Mar 2017 #227

My 19 YO had 3 weeks of cursive instruction in 3rd grade mcar Mar 2017 #170

LOL HAB911 Mar 2017 #172

I don't understand being unable to read cursive. It's the same letters. betsuni Mar 2017 #174

Neither can I and I'm in my 50s lagomorph777 Mar 2017 #178

If you don't write in some form of cursive, what is the alternative? SharonClark Mar 2017 #180

Good. OCR can't scan cursive, so better to print anyway. L. Coyote Mar 2017 #198

Well it's not a skill we need too much anymore Kimchijeon Mar 2017 #203

So, I'm just curious. How does one sign his/her name when they cannot write in cursive? hamsterjill Mar 2017 #215

There have always been people who lettered their signatures. Mariana Mar 2017 #225

The thread that never dies jpak Mar 2017 #205

So teach him, then... Blue_Tires Mar 2017 #209

Neither can my nephew retrowire Mar 2017 #214

Don't worry. As long as he can replace the tubes in a black and white television set, mahatmakanejeeves Mar 2017 #216

I hope he never studies history to any great degree. WinkyDink Mar 2017 #235

He wants to be a historian jpak Mar 2017 #244

Don't people have to write checks and sign them? CTyankee Mar 2017 #241

Why is it any sadder than your nephew not being able to drive a buggy and a horse team? Algernon Moncrieff Mar 2017 #251

You're comparing apples to wood logs. Exilednight Mar 2017 #261

There are tablets that convert your chicken scratch of choice to text Algernon Moncrieff Mar 2017 #262

Reading cursive... Mike Nelson Mar 2017 #254

Fortunately, my son's school teaches and requires cursive aikoaiko Mar 2017 #256