CURSIVE WRITING

My son received mail from his grandmother the other day. She writes in cursive.

I can remember a time when I would have to sit down next to him on the sofa and read such a letter to him as he looked over my shoulder and asked, “What’s that word?”

But thanks to the local schools, my son can read cursive writing.

Other kids may not be so lucky.

What I’m reading online – which is not in cursive – is that many schools in 44 states across the nation have stopped teaching this “archaic” and “unnecessary” form of writing.

Apparently, it’s up to the local school districts to decide in New Jersey whether cursive writing is taught. Thankfully, my son’s school district sees its advantages.

I agree that learning to type in today’s world of technology is a mandatory skill that each student should learn. And it’s a skill that requires the use of both hands, not just two thumbs.

But cursive writing is important, too.

It’s a sign of maturity to be able to read and write in cursive.

When I was growing up, I wanted a library card.

“That’s a big responsibility,” my mother said.

“When can I get one?” I asked.

“When you can write your name in cursive,” she said. “That’s the rule.”

As kids, we were judged on our penmanship. Handwriting was an indicator of who we were as individuals – neat or sloppy. And we could identify each other by our handwriting. We knew who wrote with tiny letters and who wrote big. We all wanted a name that would take our pencils in loops beneath the faint lines of our notebook paper.

We admired the way the best writers in our class made the graceful curves of their capital letters. We worked hard to perfect our own writing. On our report cards, penmanship was listed as a primary subject along with language arts, math and science.

Granted, times have changed. But the value of cursive writing remains.

Signatures are written in cursive. The U.S. Constitution was written in cursive. Thank-you notes should be written in cursive.

Cursive has its advantages.

Practicing letters over and over helps students develop their motor skills and teaches them the importance of accuracy, patience and concentration.

Cursive writing is more formal and exudes a message of importance.

It’s faster than printing when taking notes in class or business meetings.

As a society, do we want a president who cannot read a post card from his grandmother because it is written in cursive writing? Do we want engineers, doctors, lawyers and scientists who can only print their knowledge?

If some schools teach the curriculum and others do not, cursive writing is going to separate the educated and the uneducated.

I asked my son, a fifth grader, if he thought cursive writing is important. He often has to print his spelling words and then write them in cursive. He got 5 points off recently because of a faulty letter.

“Yes, it’s important,” he said defiantly. “Do you think I can get a job if I don’t know how to read and write in cursive?”

I’m thankful my son can put this basic skill on his resume. Many kids in 44 states cannot. My son has an awesome signature, too -- and a library card.

-- cawk