Yes

by M. L. Kiser

Created on: July 30, 2010

The question of whether penmanship should be taught in upper elementary school, for me, is an easy one; my answer being a resounding, yes. 

Although I began learning it in second grade at a parochial school in the 60’s, I did have a difficult time of learning to master it and I think that it was because I learned it too early.  Once I managed to master it, I got wonderful compliments on my penmanship for years.  I enjoyed writing so much more; it was easier and the flow of the connecting letters was an art form to me.  It was absolutely wonderful.

I believe that teaching it in the upper levels would make things simpler for many young students.  They’d have already mastered printing, which has been shown to be harder than cursive.  Learning the penmanship would be more like the “icing on the, ” proverbial, “cake”.

Too many schools do not teach it at all anymore and the ones that do, seem not to teach it very well.  I have a nephew who never learned to write in cursive and so, I have to type or print my letters to him because he cannot read handwriting.  It’s so disillusioning to receive a letter from him, even when it’s good news, because of his sloppy printing; it’s all that he can do and it’s just as disillusioning for him to try and decipher anyone’s handwriting.

More and more I find that people have trouble reading checks, forms, applications, etc., whenever they are in cursive and it’s such a sad fact of our society.  A person’s penmanship is a distinguishing characteristic as every individual’s is different.  In some way, it helps to define their individuality.  I love re-reading old family letters because of the varying styles of handwriting; the older the writing, the more beautiful they are.

Graphologists can tell a lot about an individual’s personality and attitude just from studying the handwriting.  For centuries, this study was a valuable tool for police to utilize when profiling suspects.  They could better ascertain exactly what sort of personality that they were dealing with.  Many young detectives today can’t even read handwriting, much less learn anything from it; it’s sad that this wonderful art form is disappearing.

Many school systems today put so much more emphasis on kids using the computer, not even teaching them to type first and not only are kids not learning to spell, but there’s more, “How R U’s”, “BFF’s”, I M in Klas’s” and “LOL’s” in their communication than English!

Teachers can tell a lot about what sort of day a student is having, by their handwriting; how they are feeling, their personality and attitude about assignments.  The cursive loops and curlicues can tell a teacher the difference between a student who is having problems with assignments or if they are enjoying them and anxious to learn even more.

I was so elated when my 9 year old great niece shows an interest in calligraphy and drawing out her letters and writing.  Her individual creative spirit was revealing itself and I feel so thrilled that she has an interest in taking her expression further rather than to just settle for printing her lessons and letters.  I bought her a bunch of calligraphy pens the following Christmas and a book to encourage her interest.  That one child’s curiosity and willingness to learn was a light in a dark world.

When kids learn to write in cursive, not only does it help to define who they are as individuals, but in ensures that they will always be able to read anything, anywhere, anytime that it is necessary and it gives them a great deal of self-esteem and pride to see their own beautiful work on the page.

Schools today don’t seem to want kids to take pride in their work; they seem to be encouraging them to be like everyone else rather than to be individuals.  We are building a society who won’t be able to read, research, translate or even enjoy the pleasure of reading an ancestor’s poetry or letters.  It’s more like stripping kids of the power to be individuals and ensures that their non-school education never has a chance to really blossom.

When I worked at a local University, I cringed at the printing on student documents.  It was difficult to read, sloppy and defined these kids in graduate classes as very haphazard, messy individuals.  It didn’t speak of their attitude or personality, in many cases and it was often frustrating trying to decipher.  What a sad commentary for our society today in the millennium, when we should be making great personal advances, as well as, the technological ones that are quickly stripping us of our unique, individual qualities.

Cursive writing has many advantages; it’s much faster than printing because your pen or pencil has to be lifted from the page less.  It’s more efficient for taking notes, especially in class, so students can catch more of what the teacher is saying.  It’s easier to learn than printing and allows students to communicate without computers, cell phones, typing or texting.  Wow!  What a concept! 

One of the best reasons to teach cursive is because it’s easier to learn than printing, it helps kids to better develop their coordination and motor skills.  It’s attractive and more pleasant to read, so kids can create more personalized letters, journals, etc.  Kids who give gifts with cursive writing on the tag can feel the pride and joy when someone compliments their handwriting; it’s encouraging to them to learn more in all areas of their education.

How can our society steal such progressive gifts from our children?  How dare we think that we can rob others of the ability to let their individual personalities shine through in their communication; it’s such a disgraceful injustice, yet it’s all too common in our society and the future looks bleak.

Some people may make the argument that not all children write well in cursive.  This is true for some, but the more they use it, the better it will become.  They may not have that pride at first, but as they write in cursive more and more the shaping of the loops and curlicues will begin to define their individuality and become more legible.  The fact is that even if a child’s handwriting is not perfect, it’s a lot more pleasant to read and the children will grow up with the ability to completely communicate with others.

Others might argue that children with ADD sometimes have difficulty in forming and shaping connecting letters, as do some non-ADD students.  Nevertheless, they can learn; why deprive them of the opportunity to learn a new skill.  We don’t have to make it harder for them by comparing them to the kids who do write better or holding them to the higher standards, but we should not deprive them of the chance to do better; to do that to anyone is to rob them of their potential.

Schools do not have to bully or brow-beat children into higher standards, but often they do, especially in private and religious schools such as I attended.  Such abuse will discourage students from learning cursive; it nearly did that to me in the beginning, but as I kept working at it, my handwriting developed into one of the only things that I could do right in my childhood to please my teachers and it earned me tons of compliments.  I relished those compliments and got even more because it encouraged me to communicate by writing letters; an art that seems to be lost now.

We live in an age where “texting” seems to be more important than talking.  People are gradually becoming less and less communicative.  Many people today have no concept of who their neighbors are and every day ride busses and subway trains, but couldn’t tell you a thing about the people they ride with on a daily basis.  No one talks anymore; they just text and sit in front of a computer screen. 

Being able to write in cursive ensures that kids will always be able to communicate, in any situation.  Computers, handhelds, cell phones, are fantastic technology, when they are working, but let’s admit it; they don’t work all of the time, people forget their laptops, handhelds and cell phones sometimes. 

Occasionally we need to jot down a quick note and these techno-toys are very slow in booting up.  How many people in classes today can write as fast as their teacher or professor can speak?  If you get in class and your tape recorder batteries suddenly stop working, will you be able to get those notes down on paper without asking the speaker to repeat themselves 2 or 3 times?  Guess what, it takes longer to print those notes than to write them in cursive!

Today, when I get a handwritten letter or card in the, “snail mail”, I am thrilled to read it.  It’s a refreshing break in the daily grind and gives me hope that human being are still human beings.  There’s just an undeniable and very soothing experience in reading the handwritten word; largely because you can somehow feel the energy emanating from its creator.  Their personality exudes from every wave, curl and loop.  I feel saddened that so many will never know that feeling of elation because they can’t read or write in cursive. 

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