{"id":1002,"date":"2017-03-15T15:00:08","date_gmt":"2017-03-15T20:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/?p=1002"},"modified":"2017-03-14T16:12:50","modified_gmt":"2017-03-14T21:12:50","slug":"should-we-still-be-teaching-cursive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2017\/03\/15\/should-we-still-be-teaching-cursive\/","title":{"rendered":"Should We Still Be Teaching Cursive?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Michael Albrecht<\/em><\/p>\n

Cursive handwriting has long been taught in our schools. The debate has been heating up again as to the role cursive handwriting should have in our curriculum. Is it something our WELS primary grade teachers should continue to devote time to, or could that time be better spent in teaching alternate methods of communication? Is cursive handwriting becoming obsolete?<\/p>\n

As educators, we certainly can question the validity of anything in our curriculum. Some see cursive writing as simply a tradition \u2013 something being taught without giving thought to why we are continuing to teach it. Others see enough benefits in cursive writing to rationalize the precious class time devoted to its teaching.<\/p>\n

As early as 1955, the Saturday Evening Post<\/em> declared that \u201cincreasing reliance on the telephone, typewriter, dictating machines, and electronic brains would seem to be making handwriting as obsolete as smoke signals\u201d (Rothstein, 1997). One wonders if our new wave of technology \u2013 laptops, tablets, and smartphones \u2013 is bringing this warning to fruition. Common Core Standards, for example, do not include cursive handwriting. Is this a sign that cursive is being phased out of our school curriculums? We recognize that a focus on general keyboarding skills has, at the very least, decreased cursive handwriting time in classrooms.<\/p>\n

Are there reasons to still teach cursive? Some feel that fluency in cursive leads to quicker composition and better quality of written text (Doverspike, 2015). Many point to the fact that almost all historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence, are written in cursive. Learning cursive may help students develop reading, communication, and fine motor skills (Blazer & Miami-Dade Public Schools, R.S., 2010). Cursive writing may activate different parts of the brain (Steinmetz, 2014). And, of course, we all need to learn to sign our names in cursive!<\/p>\n

At one time, cursive was the principle manner in which handwriting was conveyed, so legibility and speed were critical characteristics to consider (Wallace & Schomer, 1994). Today, teaching basic computer literacy skills seems to be more important in a technologically competitive society. \u201cHandwriting repair expert\u201d Kate Gladstone admits that only about 15% of adults use cursive after high school (Carpenter, 2007). Most adults (including this writer) abandon cursive writing, opting for a hybrid form of mostly print letters joined occasionally in a cursive style. Teachers themselves are becoming less familiar with the cursive style and are having more problems teaching it. Research has shown that teaching two forms of handwriting has outlived its functional value in society (Wallace & Schomer, 1994).<\/p>\n

So we ask ourselves \u2013 should we continue teaching cursive? Would it be more beneficial to spend time gaining mastery of, say, manuscript writing, rather than teaching two competing forms of physical handwriting? Can we admit that the role of technology in our world is continuing to grow, and we as educators need to find the necessary time to more fully teach keyboard-based communication methods, even if it supplants cursive in the process?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s assume that cursive handwriting is slowly being displaced by other communication means. Are there ways that we as educators can compromise to keep cursive handwriting from becoming a lost art?\u00a0 One way to keep cursive alive is by focusing on the reading of cursive, as opposed to the writing of cursive. Writing practice could be given in simplified forms, such as learning personal signatures. The bulk of the time usually spent on learning the minutiae of connecting letters and forming correct loops could be spent on improving manuscript or learning methods of communication more pertinent to today\u2019s society. Cursive can be taught in a unit approach in association with other language arts concepts. Cursive writing can even become an elective class to those would like to devote the time and effort into keeping this art form alive.<\/p>\n

As professional educators, we need to be aware of changing societal trends that may lead us to incorporate different methodologies. If cursive handwriting is indeed fading away, we can keep its use alive through less traditional means in our school curriculums.<\/p>\n

Michael Albrecht (DMLC \u201990) teaches 3rd<\/sup> and 4th<\/sup> grade at Calvary-Thiensville WI.<\/em><\/p>\n

References<\/p>\n

Blazer, C., & Miami-Dade County Public Schools, R. S. (2010). Should Cursive Handwriting Still Be Taught in Schools? Information Capsule, Research Services, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, 0916, 1-8.<\/p>\n

Carpenter, C. (2007). Is this the end of cursive writing? The Christian Science Monitor, 1114.<\/p>\n

Doverspike, J. (2015). Ten Reasons People Still Need Cursive. The Federalist. Retrieved from<\/p>\n

http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2015\/02\/25\/ten-reasons-people-still-need-cursive\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Rothstein, E. (1997).\u00a0 Cursive, Foiled Again: Mourning the Demise of Penmanship . The New York Times.<\/p>\n

Steinmetz, K. (2014). Five Reasons Kids Should Still Learn Cursive Writing. Time.com.<\/p>\n

Wallace, R.R., & Schomer, J.H. (1994). Simplifying Handwriting Instruction for the 21st<\/sup> Century. Education, 114 (3), 413-417.<\/p>\n

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