![]() I can certainly say that I do not encounter cursive commonly in my day to day life outside of school, and the only times I can recall being required to use it were all in a school setting. I believe this short exposure to cursive was more than enough knowledge an elementary school student needs to be successful in school. I can passably accomplish both tasks, but have certainly not mastered either. I was taught cursive letters and practiced writing and reading them, but not to the extent that I retained a long-term ability to read or write fluidly in cursive. I can recall a small cursive unit near the end of my third grade year at the Blake lower school that spanned a few weeks, but outside of this unit I had no other instruction on how to write or read cursive. We aren’t taught to use a rotary phone, so why are we taught to use cursive? I’m all for the recognition of traditional practices - such as cursive - in a historical context, but the notion that cursive needs to be taught in addition to modern print is redundant, and the idea that cursive should be revived and taught instead of print writing is simply absurd. In my mind, cursive writing is the handwritten equivalent of the typewriter: An outdated system that has widely been replaced with a newer, more efficient, and more practical successor. ![]() The Cons of Cursive By Lucio BollettieriĬursive’s relevance has shrunk significantly over the last several decades, which is a trend that I believe should be embraced and not resisted. To some, advanced technology has removed the need for cursive, but many still argue that cursive is a useful tool to expedite and enhance writing. Today the debate around whether cursive is useful still lives on. ![]() This already rapid decline was made even worse once computers and other technologies were introduced to the market, reducing the need for writing as a whole, but especially a style as intricate as cursive. After WWII, ballpoint pens were mass produced, expediting cursive’s decline. The pen used quick drying ink, preventing smears and reducing the need for careful penmanship. The first step in cursive’s decline was the invention of the ballpoint pen in 1888. The downfall of cursive has occurred quite quickly relative to the length of its total existence. The development of cursive remained relatively stagnant until the 1960s when some pushed to write cursive in italics to aid learning, but the movement largely fell through. These styles were very flamboyant and in order to improve efficiency clerks in the 18th and 19th century simplified them down to a style called fair hand, which is quite similar to cursive today. Cursive has been present in the English language since before the 11th century, however, it wasn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries that cursive became standardized as Edward Cocker introduced the French ronde style followed by John Ayers and William Banson’s round hand style. ![]() ![]() By keeping the quill on the page longer, the ink on the tip wouldn’t dry out as fast, and the quill was less susceptible to breakage as the writer could better manage the pressure placed on it while writing. During these times a quill and ink was used to write, creating two difficulties when it came to writing: the ink would dry out fast, and the quill was easy to break. The history behind cursive begins in ancient Greece and Rome, where early versions of it were most likely used to hasten writing and prevent damage to the writing tool. Understanding Cursive’s Past By Jason Gelb ![]()
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