Cursive handwriting, also known as joint or running script, is declining due to technology and lack of emphasis in education. Experts debate whether this is a problem with literacy or simply an evolution. Cursive has advantages, such as speed and accessibility for those with disabilities, but may be eliminated in schools due to time constraints and other priorities.
The term “cursive handwriting” refers to a handwriting style in which all the letters of a word are connected as part of a single stroke. In one form or another, italics have been used since the seventeenth century. This style of handwriting is sometimes called “joint script” in Britain or “running script” in Australia.
Recently, many parents of young children have begun to notice that cursive writing seems to be a lost art. With computers becoming commonplace and most teenagers preferring email and instant messaging to handwritten letters, it’s no surprise that proper handwriting is on the decline. In fact, many young people can’t write much more than their name in italics.
However, experts are somewhat conflicted as to whether or not this is a problem with the US education system. There are some who believe that lack of proficiency in cursive writing is indicative of a general decline in overall literacy skills, but others insist that the movement towards typed communication is simply a sign of evolving technology.
It can certainly be argued that the importance of correct writing has declined significantly in recent years. Schoolchildren are almost always required to turn in typed essays, and most office workers would never dream of sending their supervisor a handwritten memo. The Postal Service also discourages the use of cursive writing, as it often causes errors with the optical character recognition software used to sort and process mail.
However, cursive writing has its advantages. Because you don’t need to pick up your pencil between letters, cursive writing is usually faster than printing. Handwriting is also very useful for situations where it is impossible or impractical to have a laptop on hand. Additionally, students with learning disabilities often find cursive writing easier to master than printing or typing. For example, because the letters in cursive writing are joined together, students with dysgraphia are less likely to confuse the letter “b” with the letter “d” when reading a document written in cursive.
Will cursive writing ever be completely eliminated? The introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act put public schools in a position to make tough decisions about curriculum. Teaching cursive writing is time-consuming and often impractical when you’re dealing with students who can already print and type. School administrators, when they find themselves in the position of losing federal funding or eliminating handwriting instruction in favor of additional math and phonics instruction, may very well choose to get rid of cursive forever.
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