Should children be taught to write in cursive?

[Savonarola]

In the United States writing in cursive isn't part of the Common Core standards; however it is still mandated in about 15 states.  I'm curious what the forum thinks: cursive or no cursive for the youth of today?

[Savonarola]

The poll comes because the focus of this quarter's The Henry Ford Magazine (magazine of The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village) is about typography.  One of the articles is about cursive.  A common argument for learning cursive (in the United States) is so that children can read The Declaration of Independence and other historical documents.  The problem with that is that, even if you do know cursive, The Declaration of Independence is hard to read.  The style of cursive has changed over time (and for different uses too; the author made the case that an expert in handwriting in, say, monasteries in the 14th century wouldn't be able to read the script used in castles.)  Some of the changes he noted I found amusing.

The common Roman script (the basis for our Times New Roman type face) was thought to be too "Pagan" by early Christians so they developed something called Uncial.

One of the most widespread cursive styles in the United States in the 19th Century was Specerian, developed by Platt Rogers Spencer (the script used for Coca-Cola).  The one I was taught, Palmer script, was developed because Austin Palmer thought Spencerian looked too feminine.

[DGuller]

What's the alternative to cursive if you want to write with pen on paper? 

[MadBurgerMaker]

I don't really see a downside to teaching it outside of the time it takes. At least get them to the point where they can sign their name.

[Savonarola]

What's the alternative to cursive if you want to write with pen on paper? 

Printing:



Printing is on the left, cursive on the right.

[Eddie Teach]

What's the alternative to cursive if you want to write with pen on paper? 

Print letters. The increased legibility more than makes up for the slower writing speed.

[DGuller]

Isn't printing letters much, much slower?  And how are you supposed to take notes when you're writing so slow?

[CountDeMoney]

As long as your handwritten, scripted, cursive signature is recognized as a legal device, people will have to learn it. 

Once again, it's time for the knuckledragging mouthbreathing niggerhaters to blame the schools, but not the lawyers.

[Razgovory]

Should still be taught since people still use it.

[celedhring]

I was taught to write in cursive at school but my calligraphy sucked (and sucks) so much that I switched to print during my teenage years. I'm much more legible that way.

[Sophie Scholl]

Get rid of it.  Replace the time spent in elementary school learning such a useless skill with an earlier start on a foreign language.

[DGuller]

Is there some technique that you people use to print letters quickly?  Because I'm slow as fuck with that, and only do it when the forms I'm filling out are telling me to do it.  I can't imagine how it can be a practical way to write quickly.  And if I have all the time in the world to write something, then I may as well type it up.

[Maximus]

Optionally as an art or a craft, sure. It's a form of calligraphy anymore.

[Admiral Yi]

Yes for the speed.

[The Brain]

Is there some technique that you people use to print letters quickly? 

Paging Dr. Gutenberg.