ABCDEFridays

What happened to cursive writing?!

Schools no longer teach cursive hand writing. Instead we see students learning how to write individual letters and in many high schools and universities we see students using their computer to take notes. For many students cursive has become as foreign as Egyptian hieroglyphics. Now, schools have adapted national standards and cursive writing is not included in the program.

One reason for this is that educators seek to prepare students for a future that involves typing skills as opposed to penmanship.  In a way cursive has become obsolete.  It is a traditional skill that has been replaced by technology. Much of teaching time has been consumed with teaching standardized testing. This trend has been slowing declinging since 1970s.

“The truth is that cursive writing is pretty much gone, except in the adult world for people in their 60s and 70s.” - Graham 

"What I typically hear for keeping cursive is how nice it is when you receive a beautifully cursive-written letter. It’s like a work of art,” Graham said. “It’s pretty, but is that a reason for keeping something, given that we do less and less of those kinds of cards anymore?"

According to a 2006 College Board report, SAT essays written in cursive received a slightly high score than those with block print, but only 15 percent of the essays were written in cursive.