Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

What a wonderful post.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

On the 30th I will have been retired from LAUSD for 12 years.
I worked with teachers who had trouble with cursive.
I taught a quick and dirty version of cursive and gave out handouts to my students. I then required all in class work and hand done homework to be in cursive. Neat and pretty didn't count, making the attempt got credit. Some kids already knew cursive, some took to it and liked it, others thought I was the meanest SOB in creation for doing that.
The reason I taught cursive - I required my students to take notes in class and submit them for a grade - the ones who printed could not keep up and if I slowed down for them the faster/brighter students got bored. Those who took to cursive were amazed how fast they could take notes - "Don't worry about how pretty your notes are. The only people who need to read them now are you and me. Pretty will come with practice.
I also taught a note taking method I had learned in 11th grade called "Quick Hand" by the teacher. Much easier than learning shorthand and anyone can puzzle them out. Abbreviations, initials, numbers, little symbols, leave out unnecessary words and most punctuation etc.
The students who caught on to cursive and quick hand became very good at note taking and their grades went up.
I taught US & World History, Geography and sometimes Government. Lots of reading (I gave reading lessons, how to skim etc also.) lots of notes.

I did have one student who brought her brother's laptop and typed notes for a couple of days just to show she could - she was fast. Oh, sorry, it isn't typing anymore, it is "Keyboarding".

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I thought "Keyboarding" was music on an electronic piano.
Guess I'm further out of it than I realized. Not really surprised at that though.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

I am 63 and probably the last generation to have used dip ink pens,once we had mastered chalk and slates....1960 yes truly. At secondary school in the first year we had to use a fountain pen,then the rest of the years were biro's. I also learned calligraphy at college as a 'night school' vocational class.
At University I used unruled paper to write notes....the younger students were bemused to see me write in straight lines across the blank page.....!

I still cannot type....!

cascoly Loc: seattle

it's already true - have you ever tried to read a 18th c doc? and not being able to write cursive in no way prevents you from READING it -- (movie notes are a red herring - they're invariably FAKE, not actual writing). finally, much cursive is unreadable, which is why any paper forms require printing

cursive HAS gone the way of buggy whips - and good riddance - hours wasted on pointless penmanship 'lessons'

what's important is being able to COMMUNICATE.

next luddites will be opining that people no longer know how to take a square root or use a map & compass or tune their car!!!

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

I have a frIend who is unable to read a street directory,,,,,,,,,,she will drive for miles out of her way to go from A to B. Grew up in the UK.... she is 60.


Dont ask me to tune a car..I have never even driven one!!

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

Here in the UK Cursive Writing is still taught in all schools, I learnt it many years ago and everybody still uses it.
Many people can write using it so it is very beautiful and easy to read, other users make it virtually unreadable. I use it all the time but find that some pens can make it very easy to write and others, such as ballpoints are terrible to use.
The best pen to use is a fountain pen as they don't move too fast which helps when forming the letters.

exakta56 Loc: Orford,New Hampshire

Your comment that fountain pens are best for cursive is revealing. You are no doubt right-handed. Lefties have to work hard to not push the nib into the paper as cursive springs from a right-handed development in writing. The cursive letters are formed going from left to right and the pen naturally is creating the strokes in a way where the nib rarely goes against the paper.

brobill Loc: Fort Worth, Texas ( Haslet)

In a strike of wisdom, the great state of Texas has resumed teaching cursive writing.
Yippee!!

traderjohn Loc: New York City

"next luddites will be opining that people no longer know how to take a square root or use a map & compass or tune their car!!!"
There is no longer a need to know how to use a map or compass. Google takes you there on your cell phones as does onboard navigation in your car. I haven't heard square root in a very long time. Cap, rotor points and a feeler gauge. I used to know how to tune up my older cars. Now I have a 2017 Audi A8. I don't even know where the oil goes. Different motors. Different world.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

There IS a need to know how to use a map. Google maps is not always available since cell service is flaky in my area. My wife cannot navigate anywhere until she drives to a known spot that has good reception and can get her directions.

My phone does square roots. All my cars for the last 20 years have had computers that keep them tuned. OTOH, I have never had a lead acid battery last more then 5 years. When the 12v battery in my Prius died it disabled the electric locks. The battery was in the back. I had to crawl over the back seat and unload the junk in the trunk so I could get to the manual unlock so I could open the hatch to reach the battery. It's a fairly small battery. I really don't know why it wasn't in the engine compartment.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Jerry, I learned cursive in grade school and high school. Engineering school required printing and caps for drawings, etc. I still practice cursive, but also use a fountain pen. Additionally, I have pens with which I do Chaucerian script. These are skills I had to learn and I'm not going to lose those skills.
--Bob

sumo Loc: Houston suburb

I wrote my 25 year old grandson a note in cursive. I was shocked to learn he could not read it.

GPappy Loc: Finally decided to plop down, Clover, S.C.

If they do away with cursive, how would you sign your name? You still will need a valid signature for drivers license, passport etc. I knew a fellow once who actually went to court to have his printed name accepted as a signature on his drivers license. It took several months and several judges before it was accepted. (This happened 35 years ago.) There is a whole bunch of people who have absolutely no sense what-so-ever, common or otherwise.