Cursive no more

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I just learned from my DD (mother of our 8- and 6-year old g-kids) that schools in Columbia, MO no longer teach cursive writing. A signature may be the only exception.

I was stunned but on reflection maybe that's OK. After all, nowadays it's all typing and filling out forms manually, right? Yet think of all the history, the manuscripts, what have you. Or maybe they just figure kids will pick it up on their own when they want to....

One of those "geez I'm getting old" moments.

 

[plex]

I've never seen something, beyond signatures, written in cursive, except in pictures in history books.

 

[REWahoo]

I just learned from my DD (mother of our 8- and 6-year old g-kids) that schools in Columbia, MO no longer reach cursive writing. A signature may be the only exception.

I was stunned...

Ironic that this lament is coming from a physician...

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Ironic that this lament is coming from a physician...

Oddly enough, my signature, repeated maybe 75 times a day for 35 years, is illegible. But my prescriptions and occasional patient instruction slips were printed and very tidy.

 

[Nords]

Anyone here still able to write in Pitman or Gregg shorthand? Just 10 years ago I had to search all over the Internet to find someone willing to translate an early 1900s document written in Pitman.

One of those "geez I'm getting old" moments.

I'll bet someone in the early 19th century had a similar moment when they discovered that documents would no longer contain those swirly integral-sign "f" letters that are fprinkled throughout the Declaration of Independence and the Conftitution...

 

[pb4uski]

Sad in a way that cursive is becoming obsolete. I remember being taught cursive by the nuns and they were very strict with us but the result was good in that many of my classmates had very attractive cursive writing. Very nice for those fairly rare handwritten notes and letters (just wrote two graduation notes to a neice and nephen recently), but other than that I don't use cursive much these days, and sadly my cursive writing is not as "pretty" as it used to be.

 

[bbbamI]

This thread made me think of when I had to learn how to write....way back in 1963.

Big chunky pencils (for tiny hands), and paper that would disintegrate if an eraser was used more than once. IIRC, the tablets contained paper that looked like there were tiny specs of wood chips scattered throughout.

Ahhhh...at least they weren't stone tablets...

 

[REWahoo]

Big chunky pencils (for tiny hands), and paper that would disintegrate if an eraser was used more than once. IIRC, the tablets contained paper that looked like there were tiny specs of wood chips scattered throughout.

Ahhhh...at least they weren't stone tablets...

Not stone, Big Chief...

 

[bbbamI]

Not stone, Big Chief...

That's it!

Oh yeah...and I only had 8 crayons...or 'colors' as we called them back in the day.

A few years ago, my momma gave me the 'school box' I had when I was in the 6th grade.

Seems to me when I started the 1st grade, cigar boxes were used. A few years later, they became fancy with pics of kids running around....I suppose cigars were out of style by then...

 

[TromboneAl]

The other part of this is that almost no one knows how to hold their pen these days. But they can type with their thumbs (as I'm doing right now).

 

[Gumby]

Not stone, Big Chief...

John Boy, is that you?

 

[REWahoo]

John Boy, is that you?

Good night, Gumby...

 

[Amethyst]

I'm sure there are a few women who remember shorthand - men my age would've died before studying shorthand, since it was For Girls.

I took Gregg shorthand in college, and was top of my class. My father expected me to become a secretary, and insisted on my taking "practical" courses, so I went in with the attitude that I was learning Secret Writing. It certainly was...these days, I can't read my old notes from school

Amethyst

Anyone here still able to write in Pitman or Gregg shorthand? Just 10 years ago I had to search all over the Internet to find someone willing to translate an early 1900s document written in Pitman.
.

 

[Midpack]

I learned cursive, was taught in 4th grade when I was in elem and we were "allowed" to use fountain/cartridge pens (below), I wonder if they even make them anymore?

But I have to stop and think to do it anymore. My signature, first two initials and last name and now totally illegible, is the only cursive left for me. Every once in a while I am asked to do a signature with my full name, and it's painful, as is the result.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I remember "penmanship" class way back in elementary school. As one that always wanted to be the best at everything (obviously never got there) I was considered to have good handwriting. After becomming an engineer, I spent a few years on the drafting board as a designer. Wanted to print nicely. Ever since that time, I've printed everything. It just became habit. If I were to draft a letter today, it would be printed and I can print as fast as I can write. It just evolved. Think about it. Do you ever receive anything in cursive or is it always printed. Ever check a book out of the library that is in cursive? Maybe a book on penmanship.

 

[braumeister]

I learned Pitman shorthand in high school, just for fun. It came in handy for taking notes in college, but I've forgotten it completely now.

As for regular cursive writing, anyone interested in genealogical research had better be extremely familiar with it, because most old records were kept that way.

 

[Charlotte]

Here in North Carolina, 3rd graders did learn cursive writing this year - and my 3rd grade daughter is proudly signing every test, piece of art, picture and just about any scrap of paper that blows by with her fabulous new cursive signature. I don't think they spent a lot of time on cursive lettering, though. Not much need anymore, I expect.


Charlotte

 

[FinanceDude]

The kids learn cursive in 3rd grade. My son just got his laminated "cursive certificate" which is proudly displayed on the refrigerator...........

 

[Texas Proud]

I learned cursive, but did not use it that much.... and I won a penmanship contest back in elementary school.....

I can write faster with block and it is much more legible...

My oldest sister and mom still write cursive.... and I can not read their writing easily... sure, looks great.... but to me writing is getting an idea across to someone else, not to look pretty...

 

[Goonie]

As for regular cursive writing, anyone interested in genealogical research had better be extremely familiar with it, because most old records were kept that way.

Over the winter I started puttering around with my family's history and genealogy again after several years of neglect. I can certainly attest to needing to be familiar with cursive writing! And in many (most) cases, penmanship was obviously NOT a priority of those using the pen! Although my greatgrandad's 'X' on the signature line of his marriage permit is nearly flawless!!

As a brief footnote, while some of my ancestral rabbit-paths hit a brick wall in the very late 1800's, many were easily traced back into the early 1700's, and a few have taken me back as far as the mid to late 1200's!!! When I started out years ago, I'd simply hoped to trace my roots back to around 1900!! Who'd o' thunk?!

 

[TromboneAl]

Typical of humans that they would develop two totally separate ways of writing. Even within each type of writing (that is, block or cursive) there are two separate ways of writing each letter (uppercase and lowercase). So in that sense, this is a good thing.

Why are we so standards-challenged?

 

[Walt34]

Sigh. So further goes the decline of western civilization....

We were also required to learn "penmanship". I was often told I should be a physician because I already had the handwriting down pat.

 

[Moemg]

It is not just Physicians who have bad handwriting . After forty years of writing Nurse's Notes or filling in forms in Procedure rooms my writing is mainly printing . Sr. Damien would be so sad !

 

[Meadbh]

In school in Ireland, I learnt to write in English as well as Irish (Gaelic) script. I used to win prizes for my penmanship. Then I became a doctor....

Seriously though, good penmanship is still very important in my world. Most healthcare facilities still have paper charts, and most people use cursive rather than print to write patients' progress notes. When I am reviewing the chart of a complex patient, I really, really appreciate good penmanship. Not decorative and flowery, but clear and legible. The nurses generally write more clearly than the doctors (eh, Moe?) and there was one particular physician that I worked with whose notes were completely illegible to me. OTOH, there was another physician whose notes were in beautiful, legible cursive script. Guess whose notes got my full attention?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

It is not just Physicians who have bad handwriting . After forty years of writing Nurse's Notes or filling in forms in Procedure rooms my writing is mainly printing . Sr. Damien would be so sad !

She might raise an eyebrow at the insertion of spaces before punctuation marks, though .