Links about not needing cursive? - Page 2

[SRHS]

Cloudswinger....is it perhaps "D'Nealian" script/handwriting? It is print that easily translates into cursive just by runing the letters together.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by cloudswinger

This is a fascinating thread. I always liked the way my parents write, and they were taught in Vietnam, which probably means the French way, so I was thinking about looking for their script. It's a print, but with a cursive flair I guess.
I think for this day and age, the majority of "writing" will be done on computers anyway, so why not have a nice writing style for the occasions you need to write by hand.

Maybe one of the italic programs. I got one of those for my son when he was 10 or 11, and he seemed to like it. He lost it, though, once he got to writing on a computer. My husband looks at him and marvels, because his fingers are moving like lightning, even though he never studied keyboarding. Oh, no - wait - he fooled with some of the kids' typing programs I used to bring home, but he didn't really learn much from them because he had absolutely no interest! It was when he got into IMing, emailing, and through that creative writing, that he learned to type. Anyway, FUN-Books has an italic book and a whole lot of other interesting looking things in their reading and writing section that I didn't realize they had! - Lillian

[marilynmama]

I hate writing in cursive and never do except like someone pointed out to sign certain things that require your name to be printed and to be signed...I agree, it would be a good idea to teach a child to learn to sign his name for those reasons (I had something sent BACK to me once when I didn't sign something but printed on both lines instead!). Other than that I could care less if my my kids ever learned cursive unless they want to, I just don't find or particularly useful.

I kinda laughed to myself because my neighbor was kinda bragging about how in her private school they taught all the kindergardeners to write in cursive and then print and I was thinking....what the hell for? LOL

Interesting thread!

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by marilynmama

I kinda laughed to myself because my neighbor was kinda bragging about how in her private school they taught all the kindergardeners to write in cursive and then print and I was thinking....what the hell for? LOL

I don't know why this cracked me up so much, but it sure did. - Lillian

[rootzdawta]

I remember having to learn to write cursive in my Catholic elementary school and then having to write in cursive all the time although my cursive was so sloppy. Teachers would get on me all the time about how sloppy it was and how they couldn't read what I wrote. I used to think "Well, if you'd let me print, you could read what I wrote!" I'm still glad I learned it. When I take my time writing cursive nowadays, it's actually pretty useful especially when it comes to making cards and stuff. I'd love to learn calligraphy though. Also, when I was teaching, none of my sixth grade students knew how to write cursive so it was really nice to be able to show them (the girls especially).

[oldcrunchymom]

I think READING cursive is a useful skill, but realistically people do not need to write in cursive anymore except for signing their names. My daughter is learning to write in cursive but my son couldn't care less (he can read it, though). I certainly don't think it's an issue worth forcing on a reluctant child. I know that I didn't particularly enjoy writing in cursive as a child, and switched back to printing as soon as they let us (in middle school).

[cottonwood]

I can write in cursive perfectly well, but never use it. Instead I use the print form of all the letters and link about half of them. This goes for when I sign my name as well, so that my signature looks exactly like my "printed" name. I've done this on all legal documents, and nobody has ever said a word about it.

[Lillian J]

Actually, I wish my cursive still looked the way it used to. I have to wonder if maybe a lot of keyboarding can affect the way your fingers move. I find it very difficult to slow down, concentrate, and really make the pen do what I want - of course that has to do, obviously, as much with slowing down and concentrating, but I can't help but wonder if a lot of it is that my hands have been retrained. I don't bother trying to send handwritten notes to people, because I hate the way my writing keeps going off. My parents had perfect writing all their lives, and my mother-in-law has had beautiful writing into her old age. - Lillian

[UlrikeDG]

Originally Posted by marilynmama

I hate writing in cursive and never do except like someone pointed out to sign certain things that require your name to be printed and to be signed...I agree, it would be a good idea to teach a child to learn to sign his name for those reasons

The thing is, it really doesn't have to be written in cursive. It just has to be written like YOU write it. The "print" line is so they can read your name if your signature happens to be illegible. You could just put an X in the signature spot if you didn't know how to write, for example (and you'd have to ask someone to print your name for you). The signature is YOUR signature, cursive or otherwise, and I would have sent the printed document right back to them, unchanged, if that's how I normally signed my name.

[cottonwood]

So yeah, I could care less if my kids learn cursive or not. They don't need it, and if they have a desire to have pretty writing, they can learn anytime they like, just like I learned to do calligraphy and architectural printing in college.

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by SRHS

Cloudswinger....is it perhaps "D'Nealian" script/handwriting? It is print that easily translates into cursive just by runing the letters together.

I looked at that, but that's a recent invention, whereas my parents learned to write back in the 40's, so I don't think it is the same. I'll have to get them to write it all down for me so I can really compare, since this is just a vague memory right now, and it wasn't like dd is going to start writing anytime soon.

[DigitalSuze]

What a great thread! My 10 y.o. son has always had difficulty writing -- print or cursive -- and is easily frustrated. We've been working through the Handwriting Without Tears program, but this thread makes some good points...if he's able to sign his name, and his handwriting is reasonably legible -- who cares what his style is? I think we'll check out the Italic Handwriting Series.

[applejuice]

Actually, my mother, born in 1933 and started school in 1938 told me that she learned to do cursive from the beginning.

Printing was used for slower learners in the British schools beginning in the 1920s.

[cloudswinger]

Ok, so I looked around and found this site.
Didatic fonts for children

It's got a variety of fonts that can be used to teach handwriting, including quite a few non-US ones. There are a lot of broken links, but there are enough of the european ones that I'm kind of leaning towards one of the austrian ones. Who knows, it's still early.

Although, if you go here - http://www.bfhhandwriting.com/ - there's a program for a print script that is easily converted to cursive.

[aniT]

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom

I am talking signature for buying a car or home. You cannot just print. Ironicly though you need to sign legiable enough to prove it is your name.

No you don't. My husbands signature is completely unreadable. It's basically just a scribble. I can't make out one single letter. Not a single person, when we have bought cars, houses, opened bank accounts has ever questioned his signature.

As far as cursive goes, I hate reading it, it hurts my eyes. The only person I know who writes in it is my MIL who thankfully has started printing now that DD can read.