General Discussion

Orrex

(67,115 posts)

24. Regarding historical documents -- nonsense.

Wed May 17, 2017, 09:12 AM

May 2017

In an average day, a kid sees dozens and dozens of widely varied fonts online and can readily interpret them. Cursive--even hoity-toity cursive that we've put on a romanticized pedestal--is simply another font easily parsed. Even "formal" cursive is vanishingly rare: everyone I know who claims to write in cursive is actually using a personalized variant--yet somehow I can still read it.

As for "formal way of writing," that simply makes it a niche skill. It's hardly a justification to waste classroom time on it.

Other than my signature, I have had absolutely ZERO reason or occasion to use cursive since I graduated from high school. And I could have been taught how to write my signature in under an hour, rather than wasting weeks of classroom time on an archaic and obsolete skill.

Some people enjoy writing in cursive, and more power to them. If I could retroactively opt out of having endured it, I certainly would do so, and I'd be no poorer for it.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

35 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Question about cursive writing (aka "real writing.") [View all] raccoon May 2017 OP

'real writing' I remember we called it that and looked up to 'older' children who learned it! CurtEastPoint May 2017 #1

In My School RobinA May 2017 #11

There's a bit of cursive in advertisements. rickford66 May 2017 #2

My daughter can't read cursive janterry May 2017 #3

that depends I guess? Spider Jerusalem May 2017 #4

My favorite oddball is the capital "Q" CurtEastPoint May 2017 #32

Can you read medieval bastarde writing? Adrahil May 2017 #5

100% this obamanut2012 May 2017 #7

I Agree RobinA May 2017 #12

There is zero reason to learn cursive, unless it's as an art obamanut2012 May 2017 #6

I disagree - There are a couple reasons. Oneironaut May 2017 #15

Regarding historical documents -- nonsense. Orrex May 2017 #24

My OP didn't say young people should learn to write cursive. raccoon May 2017 #34

I yse cursive all the time. It is faster than printing. leftyladyfrommo May 2017 #8

I do too, Gregg shorthand, Diamond Jubilee edition. nt raccoon May 2017 #21

These days, anyone can have perfect handwriting. Buns_of_Fire May 2017 #9

It's considered 'Penmanship' not writing...one can 'write' a book and never pick angstlessk May 2017 #10

Correct, But RobinA May 2017 #13

If you had an iphone in a cemetary, why not just snap a quick pic of the interesting info? JoeStuckInOH May 2017 #30

It's harder than you might think to take a legible photo of a tombstone csziggy May 2017 #33

Cursive will go the way of the phone book. apcalc May 2017 #14

I saw a post on FB today treestar May 2017 #16

I'm an oldster and I haven't used or needed to use cursive in years. Javaman May 2017 #17

I learned it in school (class of 1998) crazycatlady May 2017 #18

Wow! So I can hide in the open what I want to say? Madam45for2923 May 2017 #19

Message deleted by DU the Administrators JimGinPA May 2017 #20

D'nealian is a hybrid of print/cursive...Taught it to ease Transition from print to cursive MedusaX May 2017 #22

I don't know about that... Baconator May 2017 #23

This looked familiar, you thought about this eight years ago LOL snooper2 May 2017 #25

You expect me to remember that? LOL. nt raccoon May 2017 #35

I maintain that cursive writing is adult, and that printing is puerile--exactly the order in which WinkyDink May 2017 #26

Yes mainstreetonce May 2017 #27

I don't know. However, I'm trying to remember the MineralMan May 2017 #28

Message deleted by DU the Administrators aikoaiko May 2017 #29

I am interested in genealogy and if I didn't know cursive it would be even more difficult trying to seaglass May 2017 #31