Are parents and teachers who are caught up in the controversy merely reliving old glories and trying to resurrect a useless relic? Is the battle over the future of cursive, in other words, really all about the past? Brain scans reveal neural circuitry lighting up when young children first print letters and then read them. The same effect is not apparent when the letters are typed or traced.
When reading and writing, we appear to be hardwired for versatility. But the mixed style allowed for greater speed with barely any deficit in legibility. That idea is supported by Virginia Berninger, a professor of education psychology at the University of Washington.
Does cursive help with writing and reading disorders such as dyslexia? Because cursive writing is more challenging for motor coordination and for sheer complexity of the letters, some early research from the s to the s indicated that children develop their writing skills sooner and more legibly with manuscript. Because they have to lift pen from paper between each letter, children prepare better for the next letter.
Some recent studies suggest that freeing up cognitive resources that are otherwise devoted to the challenge of simply making the more elaborate cursive forms on paper will leave children more articulate and accurate in what they write. In a study in Quebec, Bara and Morin found no reading difficulties in primary-school children that correlated with learning cursive.
Yet a more recent study by the pair and their colleagues, comparing Canadian and French primary schoolers, showed that those who learned only cursive handwriting performed more poorly than those who learned manuscript, or both styles, in recognizing and identifying the sound and name of individual letters.
Regardless of how significant or lasting these differences are, it makes sense that they should exist. But whether it makes any difference, in this regard, which form of handwriting is taught is less clear. In short, the jury is out over whether it is better to learn manuscript, cursive, or both forms of handwriting.
There may be pros and cons in all cases. W hy then do some educational systems place such importance on learning cursive? How, if not by consulting the evidence, are educational policy and teaching practices formed? In , Bara and Morin decided to take a close look at why teachers do what they do. They and their coworkers interviewed 45 primary-school teachers in Quebec and France about how and why they teach handwriting.
The results were sobering. Teachers had only sketchy knowledge, at best, of what research showed on the subject, especially when it came to the motor-function aspects of forming letters.
Their views were, it seemed, formed primarily by the culture and institutional setting in which they worked. While Canadian teachers were fairly mixed in their opinions about whether cursive was harder to learn than manuscript, and which should be taught when, French teachers were fairly unanimous.
More than half of the Quebec teachers thought that learning manuscript first assists learning to read, while only 10 percent of French teachers thought so. In other words, teachers who are recommended by their education ministry to teach cursive, as in France, seem to become convinced that there are sound reasons for doing so, despite the lack of evidence.
And teachers in Canada who decide for themselves to introduce cursive as soon as possible seem likewise to believe that there are advantages that justify this decision.
As of , 14 states required cursive instruction. Cursive writing requires a very different skill set from print writing. It involves using the hand muscles in a different way. Additionally, it activates a different part of the brain than regular writing does.
At the age cursive is taught, around 7 or 8 years old, these skills can be very beneficial in furthering motor skill development. When students are taught the English language in only one form, print writing, they get only one chance to learn and memorize the letters. By having to learn cursive as well, students get another opportunity to fully comprehend the alphabet. Learning cursive also gives students a clearer understanding of how letters are formed, which will improve their print writing as well.
Being comfortable with cursive writing will guarantee students will be confident when writing and signing legal documentation. Based on a survey of 72 people who are opposed to animal testing, even for scientific research, and people total. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest. In general, 38 percent of people prefer regular watermelon over seedless watermelon.
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