I'm Confused: What's the Point of Cursive?

Ron Nief and Tom McBride of Beloit College publish The Mindset Compilation every year, a list of each new college freshman class's qualities and opinions Class of 2014's first characteristic reads, "Few in the class are familiar with cursive writing" (McBride). The ability to read and write cursive is becoming an increasingly rare and sought-after skill set. Students today have access to a seemingly useful resource thanks to advances in keyboard technology, which range from typewriters to computers to cell phones. They no longer have to worry about getting hand cramps or constantly sharpening pencils. As long as they have a computer, they can simply enter their assignments. They don't comprehend that they're making a trade-off. Cursive writing is more than just a fancy way to sign important documents. It's not just for school that we need cursive; we need it in our personal lives, too. Writing a text in cursive rather than typing it offers numerous advantages. Cursive, like constructing blocks or tossing and catching a ball, enhances your coordination between your hands and your eyes. Cursive, on the other hand, is tied to language and aids kids in concentrating on letters, words, and proper spelling (Klemm). It cannot be denied that practicing cursive letters can be laborious at times, and even if cursive has been mastered, the writing process may still be a lengthy one. The slower pace gives us more time to reflect on what we are writing and the ideas that are being transcribed into the page. Journalist Joel Swerdlow of National Geographic spoke with Chinese electrician Wei Jingsheng, who spent 18 years in prison for penning essays critical of the Chinese government. A writer must work methodically to establish their thoughts and compel readers to reflect as they read, according to Wei (Holway 42). Despite the fact that typing is far more convenient in today's fast-paced environment, writing in cursive allows us to take our time and reflect on what we've written. Writers who use script as a form of expression find that it teaches them patience and discipline as well as allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings. When studying cursive, mastering the script alphabet's loopy-loops and zigzags can prove to be a difficult endeavor. To achieve perfection, it takes a great deal of repetition and a lot of erasing and starting over. During the writing process, students may see how far they've come. With the help of this tool, students may identify which letters require particular attention and create goals for improving their work. Working toward a goal until it is attained is a valuable lesson in self-discipline, one that is rarely taught these days due to our tendency to assume that if a machine can do the work better, why should humans bother? Are we really prepared to toss this tremendous chance aside for the convenience of technology if it means showing the future generation the benefits of hard effort and perseverance? It's not only an issue of teaching children to be efficient with their time or having orderly classrooms when it comes to the great cursive debate. Another important aspect of this story is the author's own handwriting. What makes each person's handwriting distinctive is the way they mark their I's with hearts or the way their R's always resemble their N's. As part of who we are, it is an extension of our character. Teaching handwriting and cursive has fallen out of favor as we become more reliant on technology. It's becoming increasingly difficult for instructors to keep up with the increasingly stringent requirements imposed by the new Common Core program, which does not mandate that they teach script. A part of us has been lost, and we can't get it back with a few keyboard strokes. Cursive should be taught in school and practiced at home. More than just a font, an art form, or a discipline, it's more than that. In fact, cursive has such a profound effect on the way we write that it affects the very way we think about it. It's a way to show who you are. Cursive is what makes us who we are. And that's something that should be protected.