Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire should our children be tought cursive writing in school?

Actually, the specific law subject matter will be acquired mostly after law school.

Otherwise, exactly spot on.

A person who speaks two languages is worth two people. What a wonderful gift to give young children! This is the time when they will most easily pick it up. Even if they never have to use their knowledge of Spanish in future jobs, they will be able to speak with a whole segment of the world that they would otherwise not be able to speak with... even if it's just on a vacation.

Penny

Not to mention being able to pick up the other Romance languages much more quickly and easily, or even just understand them enough in print or conversation to get by.

Unfortunately, they're going to pick up curse words along the way, but I don't see why anybody thinks it should be taught in schools. That someone can even ask this question shows how far in a hole our society has fallen.

Can't think of a single time that I have needed cursive writing skills in any aspect of business. Math skills without a calculator? Absolutely. Cursive writing? Useless.

It's probably more important to teach them how to spell taught!

Same here. I have horrible handwriting to begin with, but the fact that I rarely have to write anything other than a few brief notes has made handwriting a real chore. Other than my signature, I have not used cursive in many years. Should I need something written "pretty", I have a wife for that.....

The wonders of a public education, on full display.

Well at least when I was in school, they didn't teach us things like that. Good grief. I mean, you obviously heard stuff, and necessarily did some cursive reading when it showed up in books, but actually teaching us kids to write it? That's nuts.

If you really think that's a good idea, then I think that says all I need to know. Especially paired with your "Romance languange" thing up there aways - do you think "Romance" and all that is something else that ought to be taught in schools?

I can't decide if you're really a brilliant tongue-in-cheek comedian, or someone who just doesn't have a clue. I think I'll opt for the first.

Cursive writing... I wish I'd have thought of that!

Penny

Exactly. Head scratching, at a minimum.

I certainly hope you're right, Penny. But, I have my doubts.

No. It's a waste of time.

yes... it's a big world. they will not always a keyboard

From reading previous post's by Pine Tree, I'm pretty sure opting for the first is a good call.

Yes, if there's any chance that for the rest of their lives, they might on occasion want to read their own scribbling.
(notes, grocery lists, to-do lists, check records, etc)

How to hold a pen or a pencil is worth teaching 'em, too.

If I was not taught cursive in school I would not be able to do my job. It requires that I am able to read historical documents, old deeds and government patents. All written in the old script style cursive. Without this skill the documents might as well be written in Japanese as I would be just as lost either way.

Example of a document

Cursive outdated?

Dang, next you'll tell me that my lp collection and typewriter are obsolete. Fortunately I still have my large collection of vhs and 8-track cassettes to see me through this crisis.

Actually, I do think that cursive is an important skill.

Just as all students should have a few years of music and team sports
If for nothing else, but to learn to practice and improve.

Only one in a million will ever NEED to swing a ball bat or throw or catch a foot ball
or play a trombone.

But its the learning experience.

As summer camp teaches one everything to get along.

Are we actually having this discussion? Honestly? I write something in cursive every single day. Whether it is signing a check, or making a note in the margin to my secretary. Really, can a person even be said to be literate if they can't read and write cursive script? I don't think so. And, granted, it's been going on two decades since I did any serious academic work, but I think they still give exams with Blue Books and pens nowadays. Good luck trying to answer a half a dozen essay questions in two hours writing in block script.

Honestly, I lament my lack of education, even though by today's standards in the United States, it is a pretty good one and I have an advanced degree. If there were any options short of sending my child to a boarding school I would make sure my child got a classical education and at least learned the rudiments of Latin, Greek, rhetoric, etc..

Anyone that doubts that there is a more or less conscious effort to dumb down our country should consider questions like this. Every electronic device or computer in the country could be more or less disabled at an instant on the orders of someone you've never seen, and then where would we be if we couldn't even write? We would be absolutely incapable of communication beyond the most rudimentary means.

Is that Sanskrit?