This was an interesting article and an extensive discussion about cursive writing that I thought you might like to see. (This was one of my few attempts at reblogging, but if I ever do such a thing again, I’ll do it by hand so I have more control of what is posted. There is no way for me to resize the photo, or to break the article off at a better breaking point. Sorry it’s such a mess. I’ll know better next time.)
Me? I write my novels long hand because that is the easiest way for me to delve into into myself for the story. I’m not one of those writers who can sit down and let the words flow. I have to sit and think about everything I want to say, and to figure out the best words to show what I decide to say. Sort of anachronistic, I know, but it helps me get deeper into the story. And I’m not the only one. Studies have shown that there is a direct mind/hand connection, that you think better when writing by hand, so it makes sense to teach both keyboarding and cursive, since both types of writing use different parts of the brain.
I write my blogs on the computer, for instance, because blogging for me is more stream of consciousness, and those words flow. I generally don’t have to sit and think about what I want to say. At least, not often. Sometimes writing a blog takes me hours.
What about you? Do you still write anything long hand, or do you strictly use the keyboards of your various devices? Or perhaps you use voice recognition technology? Such technology makes both cursive and keyboarding obsolete.
An article in today’s paper gave me pause. Cursive handwriting has one foot in the grave.
A debate wages as 45 states adopt school curriculum guidelines for 2014 that exclude cursive handwriting, but do require keyboard proficiency by the time students exit elementary school.
You can read the full article here, but some highlights are:
“ . . . it has teachers and students divided over the value of learning flowing script and looping signatures in the age of touchpads and mobile devices. Some see it as a waste of time, an anachronism in a digitized society where even signatures are electronic, but others see it as necessary so kids can hone fine motor skills, reinforce literacy, and develop their own unique stamp of identity.”
“When a kid can text 60 words a minute, that means we’re headed in a different direction. Cursive is becoming less important.”
“School assignments…
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