What's Lost When Handwriting fades _ NY Times today

[writingrav]

Of Interest to FP Geeks I hope:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?hp&_r=0

Excerpt to wet your appetite:

Dr. Berninger goes so far as to suggest that cursive writing may train self-control ability in a way that other modes of writing do not, and some researchers argue that it may even be a path to treating dyslexia. A 2012 review suggests that cursive may be particularly effective for individuals with developmental dysgraphia — motor-control difficulties in forming letters — and that it may aid in preventing the reversal and inversion of letters.

Cursive or not, the benefits of writing by hand extend beyond childhood. For adults, typing may be a fast and efficient alternative to longhand, but that very efficiency may diminish our ability to process new information. Not only do we learn letters better when we commit them to memory through writing, memory and learning ability in general may benefit.

[VertOlive]

Of Interest to FP Geeks I hope:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?hp&_r=0

Excerpt to wet your appetite:

Dr. Berninger goes so far as to suggest that cursive writing may train self-control ability in a way that other modes of writing do not, and some researchers argue that it may even be a path to treating dyslexia. A 2012 review suggests that cursive may be particularly effective for individuals with developmental dysgraphia — motor-control difficulties in forming letters — and that it may aid in preventing the reversal and inversion of letters.

Cursive or not, the benefits of writing by hand extend beyond childhood. For adults, typing may be a fast and efficient alternative to longhand, but that very efficiency may diminish our ability to process new information. Not only do we learn letters better when we commit them to memory through writing, memory and learning ability in general may benefit.

I mentioned elsewhere, but will add here. After being told that my son's school plans to merely "touch on" cursive in 3rd grade, I've started looking for a simple homeschool instructional for him.

We are not going gently into that dark night, dangitt!

[writingrav]

Of Interest to FP Geeks I hope:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?hp&_r=0

Excerpt to wet your appetite:

Dr. Berninger goes so far as to suggest that cursive writing may train self-control ability in a way that other modes of writing do not, and some researchers argue that it may even be a path to treating dyslexia. A 2012 review suggests that cursive may be particularly effective for individuals with developmental dysgraphia — motor-control difficulties in forming letters — and that it may aid in preventing the reversal and inversion of letters.

Cursive or not, the benefits of writing by hand extend beyond childhood. For adults, typing may be a fast and efficient alternative to longhand, but that very efficiency may diminish our ability to process new information. Not only do we learn letters better when we commit them to memory through writing, memory and learning ability in general may benefit.

I mentioned elsewhere, but will add here. After being told that my son's school plans to merely "touch on" cursive in 3rd grade, I've started looking for a simple homeschool instructional for him. We are not going gently into that dark night, dangitt!

My eight year old granddaughter went on line to find cursive handwriting instruction because she didn't want to answer the letter she received from Grandpa (me) unless she could write cursive. Her mother suggested she just print and tell me about her cursive lessons for now , fearing that otherwise I would be waiting a long time for a letter back. I did receive her letter and can now write her weekly as I still write and receive weekly letters from my three kids.

[cwent2]

My Grand Daughter is 7 and is learning cursive in school in Massachusetts. She spent some time with me and my pens practicing yesterday

Was a fun experience. Now only if Fountain Pens had spell check.

[Silverbreeze]

My Grand Daughter is 7 and is learning cursive in school in Massachusetts. She spent some time with me and my pens practicing yesterday

Was a fun experience. Now only if Fountain Pens had spell check.

I am much older and I could still use a Spell Check pen. On the other hand rewriting is good for the soul or something

[writingrav]

My Grand Daughter is 7 and is learning cursive in school in Massachusetts. She spent some time with me and my pens practicing yesterday

Was a fun experience. Now only if Fountain Pens had spell check.

I am much older and I could still use a Spell Check pen. On the other hand rewriting is good for the soul or something

Or we could be less hung up on standardized spelling. Ever read an 18th or 19th century letter before it was edited for a published book of letters?

[Silverbreeze]

My Grand Daughter is 7 and is learning cursive in school in Massachusetts. She spent some time with me and my pens practicing yesterday

Was a fun experience. Now only if Fountain Pens had spell check.

I am much older and I could still use a Spell Check pen. On the other hand rewriting is good for the soul or something

Or we could be less hung up on standardized spelling. Ever read an 18th or 19th century letter before it was edited for a published book of letters?

Yeah, not going to happen in a digital world

Though do they still teach spelling memorization ???

[Nomdeplume]

Yet another article....
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-learning-secret-don-t-take-notes-with-a-laptop/?WT.mc_id=SA_Facebook

This one deals with retention of information when notes are taken

[mrcharlie]

I mentioned elsewhere, but will add here. After being told that my son's school plans to merely "touch on" cursive in 3rd grade, I've started looking for a simple homeschool instructional for him. We are not going gently into that dark night, dangitt!

You can get PDF samples of Zaner-Blosser from their online store (http://shop.zaner-bloser.com/c-2-handwriting.aspx) to get an idea of what they are like before you buy. I can't say if they are good for kids or not; however I printed every sample I could get from every grade's materials from their site and went through them all in the latter part of 2012. You know what my writing looks like. I mostly chose this because it was one of the systems I learned in grade school, and the one I liked the best.

[bc.hiker]

Our experience with cursive in public edu in Indiana was that neither of our boys {now 30 & 32 years old} ever write in what we called 'long hand'. Both of them print exclusively and use cursive only to sign their names - signatures are barely legible. It seems there was no focus on cursive even in the late 80's or early 90's where they went to school. I recall reading some of their work when they were in High School and was stunned that the essays were entirely printed. Even asked them why they didn't 'write it out'?? They explained that cursive writing was neither required or expected for homework assignments. I found that shocking. So, it seems the move away from teaching cursive must have begun quite a while ago.

It also seems the more I become involved in pens & writing the less interested I am in the digital world. Maybe it's the act of doing something 'real' and creative, like writing, trying new inks, new pens, different nibs and employing this form of expression that underscores how cold and harsh the digital world can be. This is a great article, thanks for sharing it!!

[johnus]

I went to elementary school in the 50's in NYS. It was a parochial school; my two sisters, slightly younger, went to a public school that was less than a block away. I learned the Palmer Method and used a fountain pen, my sisters while learning cursive did so with pencils and ? Method. They both went on for advanced degrees, but nether know how it use a fountain pen.

[Scrawler]

I have long believed that the discipline required to form cursive writing taught the brain to control impulsiveness. When a child learns to write cursively, they have to focus their entire attention on the point where the pen touches the paper and the muscles used to move that point around. That very effort and focus helps to form character. I am of an old school of belief, that young children are like wild animals. That if left without borders and boundaries, they flounder around, trying to find themselves. They need a small amount of focus and discipline early on to form the habits and attitudes they will carry with them later in life. I cannot say for sure that it is not a family trait, or that the discipline of learning to write is responsible, though I believe it is, but when I see the success that the girls in my family are enjoying, I attribute it directly to the fact that they write well. Indeed, it does beyond this, because yesterday I observed my daughter writing a "thank you" note with two of my pens to a very important person. That in itself, in a world of increasing illiteracy, improves the probability of future success in her chosen career, because she is able to place a more personal touch on her communications.

[dr.grace]

I learned cursive in school in the USA during the 50s. I recall being mystified that anyone would want to write in such an ugly way. It just never made any sense to me. Now that I know italic, I really wish they'd taught me that instead.

[Tsuki yo]

In the late 80's I was taught cursive, I think they started teaching it to us in grade 3. By grade 8 it was almost completely abandoned in favour of printed or typed assignments.

[ceramic_pizza]

Hmm. I learned cursive when i was in elementary school and i remember my teachers telling me cursive will be required in highschool. However when i got into highschool it wasn't required. My brother says it was required when he was in school though. Which means i was probably one of the last generations that learned cursive.

On a side note i hated learned cursive when i was school. It would have been nice if they told me how pretty it could be.