John Foreman: The lost art of cursive handwriting
Reasons to keep cursive handwriting in the curriculum are piling up.
Campaign for Cursive
This blog is sponsored by the Southern California Chapter of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation (AHAF). Our Main Objective is to raise awareness among educators and legislators of the importance of mastering cursive handwriting for the physical and emotional benefits in the development of the child. Our End Goal: Develop outreach programs to educators and legislators and lobby for retention/reestablishment of teaching cursive in the classrooms.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
This time it's a Princeton study
Princeton Study finds students more likely to learn by taking handwritten notes
We are very happy to see another prestigious learning institution agree that cursive writing is important in learning and retention.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Laptop v. handwritten notes--what's the verdict?
http://www.thestar.com/life/2014/06/09/laptops_vs_written_notes_writing_it_out_helps_students_more_study_says.html
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Survey of Teachers
What teachers are saying about teaching cursive:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10667809.htm
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10667809.htm
Monday, May 26, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
Another reason why it's important to learn to write
This article from www.psychologicalscience.org describes a study undertaken to learning by students who used laptops compared to writing notes by hand. http://bit.ly/1ikrRGq
Friday, April 18, 2014
Derek McGinty has got it right!
The need for cursive writing is being highlighted more and more, despite its detractors. Check out this TV spot: http://bit.ly/1lj783s
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Handwriting Link to Better Grades
Watch this 2 minute video about current research that links better grades to handwriting.
http://youtu.be/JmQkUaecpV0
http://youtu.be/JmQkUaecpV0
Thursday, March 27, 2014
The Art of Writing
By: Marilyn Keller
I had lunch this week with a
friend who is an archivist. As we
progressed through our getting reacquainted chatter, she mentioned how disappointed she was with an intern she had
recently hired. “What are your concerns?”
I asked. “She can’t read,” my friend
stated. “She’s a junior in college. How is it possible she can’t read?” I
questioned. “It’s not that she can’t
read at all,” my friend explained, “but she can’t read cursive writing, a
rather critical skill when working with historical documents.”
I did a little research on
this topic and learned that while the instruction of cursive handwriting has
been declining for years, the trend turned official with the first offering of
the Common Core State Standards Initiative in 2010. The CCSSI aimed to standardize math and
language arts requirements across the country and omitted any mention of
cursive writing. 2012 test scores showed
75% of American high school seniors lacked basic writing skills, including the
ability to form a sentence, paragraph, or essay that was articulate and
grammatically correct. As of 2013, 45
states have elected to implement the Common Core standard, so the demise of
cursive appears to be eminent. Maybe I’m
romanticizing this form of handwriting, but I think the lack of such ability
will continue to have a negative impact on those growing up in a keyboard
culture.
For me, learning cursive was
a rite of passage. An art which stated,
I was becoming an adult. I never had
beautiful handwriting, at least the nuns didn’t think so, but practicing my
penmanship led to my love of writing. As
I moved my fountain pen across the lined paper, my writing became my
voice. I wanted to read more to gain the
knowledge to write more. My vocabulary,
spelling, grammar, and sentence structure all improved. Today, I primarily use a computer when
writing, but am often inspired by looking back at my handwritten journals.
In business, my clients often
mentioned how much they appreciated the handwritten thank you notes I
sent. They were rare and made them feel
special. In my personal life, I love
receiving handwritten mail. Even before
I open the envelope, the handwriting announces the author and I eagerly
anticipate the message.
My relationship with my
deceased mother was not strong, but when I left home at age 17, she gave me
four pieces of pink stationery on which she had written my favorite
recipes. To this day, I cherish those
papers, especially the recipe where she forgot to include all of the
ingredients.
My husband knows how much I
love the written word and over our 12 year relationship, I have filled a large
box with his many handwritten cards and letters.
A person’s handwriting is
their signature. A part of them that is unique.
I understand the importance and necessity of keyboard
instruction, but see much value in at least introducing today’s students to the
art of cursive writing; the art of writing.
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