Is cursive handwriting dead? Well, yes and no. Sure, its not a part of the core curriculum anymore, but not every school is ceasing its instruction. It is on the decline, but not dead. To be sure it would be terrible if it were altogether given the boot from every school in America: cursive handwriting engages a lot more of the brain than typing and it improves memory, too. It also allows a person to develop and perfect something unique – no two people have the exact same handwriting.
Back in the mid 1800s an attempt to make cursive handwriting more practical and teachable was introduced known today as Spencerian Script (named after the American who introduced it). Until about 1925 it was the standard. He wanted a style of handwriting that could be taught easily, be legible, but be written quickly. We can still see Spencerian script examples today: the Coca Cola logo, for example. It was later replaced with a modern style called D'Nealian which emphasized a smoother learning transition for students from manuscript to cursive (letters having “tails” is the tell-tale hallmark). It was not the only style introduced – or criticized (See the Zaner-Bloser style or Palmer method). The point here is that a lot of thought has been put into how to instruct and develop cursive handwriting. True, there are some abolitionists of cursive forms – and we blame that on computer keyboarding. But it will be a long time, if ever, that cursive writing would entirely disappear from all schools' curriculum.
What I am more worried about is the consistent, and rapidly paced devolution of standard English. The cause of that? Texting. I see more frequently these days shortened or abbreviated sentences in texts for social media platforms that do not adhere to any known rule of grammar; in fact, I am more often than not wondering just what message was originally written or intended on some of these posts. While I agree that texting or posting information online does not always have to be long-form communication, I am more convinced that the writers of these posts do not have any idea of how they could do that if were they were asked. That is: they seem to be making up their own language – one that is becoming so acceptable (but not taught) most everyone can decipher or recognize it, especially the youth. But, not me; not always.
I find it painful to watch this process of degeneration probably because so much time, care and effort was devoted to correctness in writing when I was in school that it is hard not to take it personally – or at least as an attack of sorts. But it is happening. So, if I could salvage something first – it would not be cursive handwriting, but sound written communication. We used to lump all of that into one umbrella, but I'd be forgiving if some of the butchering of the English language would cease.
