Is teaching cursive writing a waste of time?
 

YES
David Rufo:
It's a 'loopy' use of class time

We no longer use eight-track tape players because we now have audio technology that is easier, faster and better. We no longer beat clothes against rocks at the riverside because we now have a method that is easier, faster and better. So, why do we force our schoolchildren to write in a systemized loopy script that is rather difficult to decipher and leaves many adults with knots the size of walnuts on their knuckles?

Whenever I bring up the idea of doing away with the practice of cursive writing instruction in our schools, most folks over the age of 35 look at me with a mix of shock, confusion and, eventually, thinly veiled disgust. Humans are creatures of habit. Attempting to change what they have come to expect from our classrooms is more difficult than Sisyphus getting his boulder to stay put. Even in the face of unbelievable technological advances over the last decade, many teachers blindly accept that cursive writing instruction must be part of the daily curriculum.

Granted, cursive writing (like every other form of writing) had a useful purpose when it was originally developed. However, at the dawn of a new century filled with picture-taking cell phones and instant messaging, I feel that it’s safe to say cursive writing has pretty much run its course. It’s not that I have anything against the aesthetic qualities cursive writing offers, quite the contrary. In addition to being a teacher, I am also an artist and fascinated by the variety of flourishes made by the handwritten word—be it Sanskrit, illuminated medieval manuscripts or the gorgeously hypnotic patterns created by cursive writing pioneer Charles P. Zaner. But keep in mind that the original Zanerian manual was published more than 100 years ago.

As teachers, we need to determine the purpose of writing. Is it not to communicate effectively? If so, shouldn’t we allow our students to do that in the easiest, most effective way possible? Depending on the classroom, the options might include manuscript (printing), keyboard typing or speaking into a computer.

The act of writing occurs in the imagination and mind of the writer. We now have a variety of methods at our disposal to communicate those thoughts and ideas to an audience. I’m sure there will come a time in the not so distant future when keyboards, too, will become quaint and antiquated. At that time, I hope teachers will not tenaciously hang onto their PowerBooks because of tradition.

David Rufo teaches third and fourth grade at the Manlius Pebble Hill School in DeWitt, N.Y., and is also a painter and sculptor.

NO
Janie Cravens:
It motivates students to learn

There is still a real need for cursive writing instruction in today’s curriculum. Anything we teachers can do to help our students succeed is never a waste of time.        Last summer, an 11th-grader asked me to help her improve her cursive writing. After three weeks of lessons, she felt confident enough to write her college entrance essay. She was stepping into the competitive world, and cursive was a tool she instinctively knew she needed—even in this day of Palm Pilots and .doc files.

For elementary school students, writing in cursive is a rite of passage—just as important as a teenager learning to drive. Teenagers are motivated to study their driver’s manuals, practice parking and learn the rules of road safety. They will study and practice so they can “take off and drive.” In the same way, third-graders are motivated to take the time and make the effort to learn cursive. They want to “take off and write.” In the process, of course, they are learning sentence structure, capitalization and a myriad of other writing rules. Why not jump on the chance to teach something that will benefit students for life? They are motivated to write, so why not make the most of it?

Teaching cursive writing in the classroom reaps other benefits, as well. Students need to learn to read cursive script—it is still widely used in everything from advertising to invitations. In addition, the process of cursive writing instruction and then practice enhances the students’ skills in listening and following directions.

What’s more, the flow and rhythm that comes from cursive writing is like “visual music” in the way it can help make information stick. We surely don’t remember all of the prose we read during our teens, but we can still remember the words to every Top-40 song. The flow and kinesthetic rhythm make those songs stick.

Nor has the technological revolution supplanted the need for handwriting, even in the world of instant messages and chat rooms. (How soon will your school be able to afford a PDA for every student?) This is still a world of pen and ink, and will be for years to come.

There’s one other area in which good cursive instruction will offer great rewards for the time spent—an area that is dear to any teacher squinting through another night of reading students’ runic scrawls. When a student turns in a legible paper, my heart wants to sing, because I know I can grade it without deciphering it first. Priceless.

Janie Cravens is a 23-year veteran teacher at Washington-Wilkes Elementary School in Washington, Ga., and is a member of the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting.

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