Can your children write in cursive?

[kamik86]

I'm a bit confused??? My DD has a laptop for middle school as do all middle and high schoolers in our county. My comment was specific to note taking as that was where knowing cursive was important because it's so much faster.

I can't think of anyone in college that wrote their notes in cursive. That included every official notetakers notes I saw (some classes had official notes that went online) any friends I borrowed, remember sitting next to, and my own.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

DD wanted to learn to write in cursive in 3rd grade, so she asked her teacher. Her sweet teacher got her a book and helped her learn, but they didn't do it as a class. In 5th, I think they spend a few days on cursive, but some of DD's friends are still surprised that she can write (and read!) cursive. DD was always able to read cursive - she doesn't get why some kids have problems.

FWIW, to me, handwritten notes and letters seem more personal when written in cursive.

 

[kamik86]

Spin off:
Can your kids tell time on a analog clock? Do they teach that anymore? That one I find useful. At work most of the conference rooms have analog clocks. It is alot less obvious your clock watching to glance at that then to pull out your cell phone.

 

[gwynne]

Spinoff: I have a 20 something nephew that thinks I am amazing...why? Because I can read "old" cursive easily. We have some old family letters, documents, diaries written around 1850 and beyond. I read parts of them to him. He couldn't believe it, how did I do that???? I guess I'm a magical aunt.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm a bit confused??? My DD has a laptop for middle school as do all middle and high schoolers in our county. My comment was specific to note taking as that was where knowing cursive was important because it's so much faster.

My kids' cursive (or script, as they call it), is so painfully flow, like all kids these days. Since it's rarely used, it never gets fast. When I was in school, we had to write, not print, so we were fast.

 

[soccerdad72]

Both kids learned it in school (I think my younger son is still learning it?) - they used Handwriting without Tears, as others have mentioned.

Neither uses it unless they have to - they normally either print or type everything.

 

[havaneselover]

I can't think of anyone in college that wrote their notes in cursive. That included every official notetakers notes I saw (some classes had official notes that went online) any friends I borrowed, remember sitting next to, and my own.

I graduated in 1997 but my notes were definitely in cursive if I had a lot to write quickly. I never borrowed anyone else's so I'm not sure what others were doing.

 

[kmb584]

My 6-year-old taught herself cursive. She asked me to write the alphabet out for her in cursive and then spent an hour or so stringing her name together. That was a month ago and now she's fairly fluent in it, both reading and writing. Her school district still teaches it in 3rd grade.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Yes. Cursive is taught starting in second grade of the private school they attend, and it is used/reviewed ech year through sixth grade. My oldest is in 9th grade, he uses cursive if he has a handwritten paper (report,etc) to do.

 

[Minnesota!]

Yes. My older son learned in 3rd grade, and my younger son will learn this year in 3rd.

 

[Lisaloo]

Lol. Dis threads about kiddos never disappoint.

 

[brooke789]

Didn't read the whole thread -- but I've been seeing the "petition" to continue cursive education as tomorrow's adults will not be able to read historic documents. never thought of it that way before seeing that.

I worked for a library helping with historic documents for a short period of time and one thing I remember when I started was during training some people telling me how I'd learn the different people's handwritings. This guy always writes his Ps like Qs and instead of crossing his Ts he just leaves them uncrossed, etc. So, even actually reading historic documents with knowledge of cursive it was a guessing game based on the person's handwriting.

I can sign my name and read, but I literally do not use it at all. And notes in college? I was in college before we had laptops and never wrote a single note in cursive. I had no idea it was actually supposed to be faster.

 

[Rhombus]

I do a combination of both. All the good Sisters in the world couldn't teach me good handwriting. I was hopeless and still am.

A few of my friends who went to Catholic school would regale me with horror stories of the Nuns whacking their knuckles with the ruler if their cursive writing dared to stray outside the pre-printed lines on the paper. Both the solid lines for Capitals and the dashed lines for lower-case letters.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

They can sign their names in cursive and read cursive but that's it. They wouldn't even know how to do either of those except I taught them - I write notes in cursive usually and their grandparents write them letters in cursive so I wanted them to be able to read those letters themselves.

I was thinking that with the schools no longer teaching it, someday folks will just be "making their mark" on papers like they did in the old west. LOL

 

[MrsDuck]

I teach high school. When I write in cursive, the kids have a tough time "reading" it... I went to Catholic school - my cursive is perfect! I'd be surprised if anyone is getting cursive instruction in public elementary schools.

 

[Tiffylv]

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[porschegrl]

My son (now in high school) was taught cursive in public grade school (I'll guess 3rd grade, as others have said, but he had the same team teachers for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, so I tend to forget what happened which year!) I thought his teacher was very realistic about the value of learning it (more about being able to read it than being able to write it), and I don't believe it has been used/required in his schoolwork since. His signature is printed/block lettering.

On a related topic, did anyone else's children learn d'nealian lettering? Our school taught that when DS was in kindergarten. I got the impression it was a new development, and they really talked it up as a superior system, especially as a precursor to cursive. By the time DS was in 1st grade, the school had abandoned d'nealian completely.

 

[GusGus77]

Yes, my seven year old can read and write in cursive although she prefers printing. We homeschool, so she started learning cursive in kindergarten. My son will learn cursive, too, although probably a bit later as he is less inclined in that area.

 

[ten6mom]

My now- 6th grader learned it in 3rd or 4th grade (with many tears) and was required to use it that year. He has not had to use it since and still prints everything.

My younger son is in 3rd grade this year so I will have to keep note as to whether they're teaching it.

I personally have ATROCIOUS handwriting so I would never, ever want to teach my kids to write the way I do.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

I'm a bit confused??? My DD has a laptop for middle school as do all middle and high schoolers in our county. My comment was specific to note taking as that was where knowing cursive was important because it's so much faster.

Did you miss the persons quote in my response? It was in reference to the comment made about laptops in college and not possibly needing to write in cursive anymore. Some schools are already having kids as early as elementary school doing all their work on a laptop. Cursive is going by the wayside and it will not be needed in the future. Schools aren't spending time on it because there is no need for it. The next thing to go will be lined paper and pencils.