<p>I don’t even hand write my homework anymore. It’s been a while since I’ve done so. I do still see people doing it (often to avoid having to use Visio for diagrams or because equations are a pain to do in Word), but I’m sure it’s less common than 10 years ago and will be even less common in 10 more years. The only time I ever hand write anything is on exams. </p>
<p>As for cursive, never.</p>
<p>I only use Latex for one class personally. Word is usually sufficient.</p>
<p>My son has handwriting that is painful to behold. His fifth grade teacher had a small group of kids whose handwriting was beyond her ability to cope, so she taught them to type very well. He still types well but can’t write in script.</p>
<p>I think between the two- typing is more important.
We dont use Word for anything.</p>
<p>grabble, I think it’s sad, too! Why is handwriting being out on the back burner?</p>
<p>The majority of my homework is electronic, but I don’t let my handwriting go to shambles. Handwriting is something that expresses yourself. Cramped, chicken scratch handwriting is viewed as a lack of effort on my opinion. Everyone can write legibly. I never understood when a kid would be asked to read what they wrote and they struggled to read what they wrote.</p>
<p>My(adult) sons’ printing looks like chicken scratch. I don’t think they could write a sentence in cursive if their lives depended on it. Their signatures are hardly decipherable but so is DH’s. Must be a man thing.</p>
<p>Hello, I am a mom of a kid whose handwriting is cursive , mature but truly painful to read. Though I agree that word processing is better for assignments, I notice his grades in long answer tests are bad even though the content is there. My speculation is that teachers don’t have the patience to read but he has not been able to help himself. His sat and act scores on mc sections are perfect scores though writing component is really bad. My guess is that there is an implication of bad handwriting. I am truly afraid for his prospects in college tests since I cannot influence anything now. I have not had the courage to talk to his teachers since I have had a couple bad experiences with teachers. They typically assume you are a hover parent specially when you feel they may not have the patience to read papers. You can never question their feedback even though they may be blatantly wrong about the content they teach specially. Typical answer is it was a tough test when in fact they never even read the paper. My poor kid after being burnt is doing 2nd grade handwriting practice daily . Hopefully it will help him this year.</p>
<p>Yes, I am kind of in a similar situation though my son is in high school. My handwriting is the catholic school version and his is hardly readable. I am hoping some practice will help him but not too optimistic.</p>
<p>I remember spending hours trying to improve my handwriting. I always disliked how poor it was, and did everything I could to try and improve it. Sad to say it has, and seems like it always will, look terrible. Oddly enough my cursive is slightly more legible than my printing.</p>
<p>I remember when I was taking a drafting class and actually wrote letters using a straightedge and somehow they’d still come out looking atrocious, lol.</p>
<p>Schools don’t have time to teach cursive. Technology has pushed that aside. I think this is the future. It is sad that the next generations will have a hard time reading cursive sources. In regard to blue books, they still teach printing and most kids can print legibly. Kids, though, still need to be able to sign their names.</p>
<p>Don’t have time to teach cursive? What has taken up this time that had not needed to be taken up in the past?</p>
<p>I would just like to say that not anyone can write neat! I have the WORST handwriting ever even when I try to make it look nice as do my siblings, parents AND children. ( I can write legibly but not neat! It’s embarrassing to have chicken scratch as handwriting. ) I remember being a kid and being forced to write letters and words over and over but my writing never improved. I had ALL 3 of my kids work with occupational therapists when they were younger. They all have the “dysgraphia” label. The only time it really affects me now is when I have to write thank you notes or fill out paperwork at the doctors office.</p>
<p>I’m left handed and so is my D. Her handwriting is beautiful, no smudging problem, though she did struggle in a calligraphy course. I don’t think calligraphy would help a left hander improve, you’ve got the added complication of working with a nib. D had an advantage when she took Arabic (writing from right to left) and her homework was a work of art.</p>
<p>My printing is neat, script has degraded. I sometimes think I should just practice my letters, like I did when I was learning. My advice to anyone wanting to improve would be to copy letters - repetition is how we all learned.</p>
<p>This past summer I took a literature class with one of the nicest, coolest professors I’ve had so far. On the tests, we had to write 3 essays and do a ton of free response questions in the frame of 2 hours or so. </p>
<p>Well, I’ll admit that after the second midterm, I got the “I’m having trouble reading your handwriting!” comment on my essays and a point taken off because she literally didn’t know what my last paragraph said. </p>
<p>We were allowed to type all the reactions to the books we read, but since the class was a literature class, I had no choice but to write out everything. In my French classes we have the option to type out our papers as well thanks to the grace of symbols and accents, but come test day, I’m doomed to writing it all out under that time crunch that makes it look like squabble.</p>
<p>I’m not mourning the loss of cursive skills. And I agree that most hs/college work is typed. But… essays for SAT and ACT (as far as I know) is still handwritten. DS had one unusually low essay score, and it’s possible that his leftie chicken scratch was hard to read.</p>
<p>S got a low score on the written parts of act and sat. I think it’s partly because his writing is purposely minuscule and he writes very concisely. The graders like long, long essays, I’ve read.</p>
<p>Dysgraphia exists and no amount of practice or effort will improve the dysgraphic’s handwriting. Keyboards are the dysgraphic’s friend.</p>
<p>^^^
I’ve also noticed that I write more clearly when using a keyboard over handwritten script.
So much of my concentration is going towards trying to keep it legible when using pen & paper that apparently I have little left for coherent thought!</p>
<p>I am in a panic about this same topic today. I primarily use a computer all day. But tonight I have to take a long essay midterm for my first masters class. I’m not sure how my hand will survive! Will the professor be able to read my writing? Can’t we use the computer?? :-0 #firstworldproblems</p>
<p>I am not sure why we would assume that every person is capable of writing neatly-- it’s a motor skill, everybody has varying abilities with motor skills. That’s like saying everybody is capable of throwing a baseball perfectly straight or kicking a field goal-- I don’t think that’s true. There is nothing impressive about being snobby about handwriting on a message board.</p>
<p>I was taught cursive in early elementary and had to use it until high school, and then never again. I still know it but I haven’t practiced anything but my signature in years. I must say it has been a bit of a shock to the system to have to learn a new signature now that I’ll be getting married… I’ve tried my married name out and it looks a bit like a 12 year old wrote it. I wonder if kids only learn to sign their name in cursive, how will they read anybody elses signature?</p>
<p>
We do not assume everyone can write nearly. We assume everyone can write legibly. Everyone, except those with exceptions such as disabilities and illnesses, has the ability to write legibly. Capability differs. It would be a fair to assume that someone who is unable to write legibly has poor fine motor skills and/or had inadequate training of their skills in their development period. That or they merely lack the attention/desire.</p>