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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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8

Schools Cutting Cursive as Computers Prevail

Penmanship takes a backseat to science, reading instruction

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(Newser) – Cursive may become a thing of the past as schools pressed for time focus their attention on science and reading, the Indianapolis Star reports. Cursive is still widely taught, but the emphasis has shifted from writing beautifully to writing efficiently as wider use of computers has also edged out cursive’s traditional role.

"When I was in junior high and high school,” says one Indianapolis teacher, “our final copies of work had to be handwritten in cursive. Now it's typed." The declining use of cursive in the world outside of school adds to the difficulty of teaching it, Jones says: “they can't read it, because they don't see it anywhere."

Baltimore  students work together on a math problem while substitute teacher Amon Carter, far back, teaches the class, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007, in Baltimore.
Baltimore students work together on a math problem while substitute teacher Amon Carter, far back, teaches the class, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007, in Baltimore.   (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
Algebra teacher James Todaro teaches at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in Baltimore,  Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007.
Algebra teacher James Todaro teaches at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in Baltimore, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007.   (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
The cursive alphabet.
The cursive alphabet.   (Shutterstock)
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EddyTeach
Jan 26, 09 7:05 PM CST
i'm fine with this transition-- in 10 years (and arguably today,) the ability to type 85 words a minute will be far-and-away more valuable than cursive script. Reply
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Mr.C
Jan 26, 09 8:20 PM CST
I view cursive as a far more intelligent system. Cursive can be a ton faster than print since you don't lift you utensil up. A shift in "from writing beautifully to writing efficiently" is said to be the case? Reply
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cvd_colvin
Jan 26, 09 8:25 PM CST
As long as you can write print, you're going to be OK in the world. But, I think everyone should at least be able to read cursive... Reply
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airron14
Jan 26, 09 9:51 PM CST
Cursive may be faster but I don't think it's more readable. I would much rather read something in print than cursive. Reply
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radnip
Jan 27, 09 1:55 AM CST
Cursive should become an art form, like teaching brush writing in Japan. Certain people will need it to read documents, but the modern world doesn't need it to get on. Reply
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