Behind the Art and Skill of Cursive Handwriting ✍🏼

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I know that I’ve played this tune time and time again, but I am grief-stricken over the fact that due to the insane surge of modern technology, the art of handwriting and good penmanship has disappeared from schools. I am dismayed we are now living in a world where penmanship is becoming a lost world of beauty, art, and hand-written communications. The good thing is that there is a handful of schools, teachers, parents, and tutors who are implementing the technique and practice of handwriting with their students and children. I applaud that.

There is an even brighter light shown on the importance of handwriting and its connection to neuroscience pointing to the benefits of writing by hand.

One recent post on Psychology Today, for example, notes that “handwriting stimulates [the genesis of] complex brain connections essential in encoding new information and forming memories.” Studies employing high-density electroencephalogram technology point to the conclusion that note-takers, grocery-list compilers, and those who make calendar entries by hand are more likely to better retain the information. Entering information by hand also heightened the speed of recall by as much as 25% (not relying on a smartphone or personal information management” software).

The act of learning to write handsome, fluent calligraphy, and personal letters expresses creativity, individuality, personality, and communication skills in an artistic and regal way. Since cursive writing was required to be learned by second grade, my mother would always have us practice our writing, especially when she would tell us it looked like chicken-scratch. UGH! But you know what? I am so glad that she did. Perhaps that’s why I do a lot of writing, doodling, and journaling by hand every day, for the fringe, health, and lifestyle benefits.

Still, we can find balance in traditional handwriting instruction, coupled with digital literacy. It doesn’t have to be one without the other.

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Small Hands, Fat Pencils, and I Write

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Yep, I am a writer. And by that what I mean is, I do more handwriting than using the keyboard to compose and write things down. There is something intimate about handwriting that makes you stop and think, yet somehow heightens your awareness, at least it does for me anyway. So while I was writing some things down on this particular occasion, a strange thought occurred.

I began thinking about when I learned how to write in school and how my printing quickly segued into cursive writing (which has become obsolete nowadays). Penmanship was our unique stamp on writing. It is an art form, so the process saturates every creative bone in our bodies. It made me think about how we used such a big pencil with our little hands to write with back in the day. I wonder why we used a “jumbo” number 2 pencil with our “small” hands, but as we grew “older” we used a “small” pencil to write with? Go figure. There was even a pencil sharpener designed to sharpen these big kahuna pencils.

So as curiosity would have it, I searched the internet to see if they still make these big pencils, and low and behold, I found a couple of companies that still make them. The first one is by Mr. Pen- Jumbo Pencils for PreSchoolers and the second was Chubby Kindergarten Pencils for Beginning Writers.

Now, I don’t have the foggiest idea why I had a flashback about those jumbo pencils of yesteryear. But just imagine, it all started out with becoming acquainted with a Big No. 2 pencil that set sail to our handwriting on those red and blue lined, Red Baseline Ruled Newsprint writing pads. Oh happy, happy, joy, joy!

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The Disappearing Act of Cursive Writing is Devastating

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So, what do you think about the disappearing act of cursive writing in today’s communication correspondences? Although National Handwriting Month and National Handwriting Day are observed in the month of January, cursive writing should regain its national elementary standard, just as we see evidence of cultural character writing in other languages.

I’ve had numerous conversations with many adults my age who are alarmed when they find out that children are no longer taught the art of cursive writing in school. I recently had a discussion with a cousin of mine and we talked about some who think when they see such script that it is written in some foreign language or is some form of hieroglyphics. This saddens me because this is so widespread.

My cousin also noted that she is adamant about her grandchildren and great-grandchildren learning to write cursive instead of printing all the time whenever they come to visit her. An alarming point she made was, how on earth will they be able to read the original presentation of the Constitution of the United States if they are unable to read cursive writing? I have to say that correlation never crossed my mind, but it is a very valid point that challenges our basic capabilities beyond the keyboard.

So why was cursive writing put on the basic chopping block? By the time I reached second grade I was practicing cursive writing. It actually made me feel rather grown up and smart! 😀 This was not an option as penmanship became an identifiable character trait of an individual. We took pride in learning cursive writing and reading it just as intently as reading standard print writing.

Bring back cursive writing because, without this basic tool, it could one day be a matter of life and death for those who may need it when no one is around who understands it and can interpret what it is. What do you think? Do you write and can read cursive writing?

Write Faster with Fast Writing Pens

I have to admit that I am a pen fanatic. I have pens galore, but I have my favorites because I love the way my handwriting looks when I write with them. My fountain pens are first on the list, but because of my worriation about ink leakage in my purse, and the fact that ink cartridges are not very cost-effective, I only resort to using them at home or for a special occasion. My next type of pen of choice is a rollerball and then gel definitely is next. Although ballpoint pens are still popular, if you are searching for some nice writing pens that help you to write faster, and make your handwriting look more polished, then check out this chart that I spotted on Hack My Study.

If you are as fanatical about your writing instruments as I am, check out this awesome article that touches on pen comparisons, what pens to use in order to improve your writing speed and why. Read more…

Today is National Handwriting Day!

Celebrating National Handwriting Day!

Since more people are communicating electronically instead of writing and communicating by hand, penmanship has fallen in the trenches. The pride taken in one’s penmanship is not as detail-oriented as it was before the popularity of computers and electronic keyboard devices.

It is amazing that there is a continuing controversy about the role of handwriting lessons in schools. A great number of teachers support teaching children using keyboards, while other teachers feel that handwriting (particularly cursive handwriting) will have a better impact on a child’s ability to read and write. How can we expect kids to understand how to read cursive writing, if they are not taught how to write and understand the aesthetics of it?

Personally, I am an advocate for good, legible handwriting although I use my keyboards a lot as an adult. Throughout elementary school, writing was a very instrumental piece of our learning process and communications. I feel that it should be taught in schools like it once was, because in reality it seems to be a dying art. We always seem to be in a rush when writing and it clearly shows that when others try to read it.

I witness everyday evidence of handwriting that many of my schoolteachers would cringe at. My mother used to call it “chicken-scratch” and while growing up, she was adamant about all of her children learning to write legibly and to develop good writing habits. Good handwriting promotes an organized approach to communication and creativity. Practice good handwriting habits and you just may find that it opens a core of creative opportunity that you never imagined.

 

Do You Think Penmanship Matters?

Is Your Handwriting Becoming Extinct?

Are we losing touch with the communicative connection between pen and paper? When you write, do you find yourself printing or cursive writing? Has Cursive Writing Fallen From Grace? Are we more co-dependent with sending messages using computer and mobile phone keyboards? The more time we spend on using the convenience of computer or mobile communications when sending a message, are we alienating our ability to write proficiently, clearly and legibly?

Was does your handwriting say to you? Is Your Handwriting Revealing Some of Your Innermost Secrets?On the other hand, does it show social, mental and creative deficiency? You do not have to be a professional penmanship master in order to write with distinction and legibility.

There has been much discussion and debate about the crisis of our handwriting and what it could mean to our personal development. I found a great news clip that was broadcast on “Sunday Morning on CBS” that I would like to share with you.  A Farewell to Handwriting? It reveals a lot about the significance of our penmanship and the value of historical attributes to this rapidly fading craft.

Is Your Handwriting Really Affected By A Writing Desk?

Initially, when I set out on my quest to purchase a writing desk for my office, I did not entertain the idea of buying an industrialized looking desk, or a heavy executive style that would inevitably overwhelm the room. Scanning through the numerous types of desks, I searched for styles that would appeal to my decorating preference, as well as falling within my budget. Surprisingly, I discovered that all writing desks are not created equal.

Improving your handwriting is best done on a tilted writing surface. Many calligraphers and graphic artists tend to use slanted writing desks more than other styles. Writing at an angle is better for your posture, thereby eliminating the need to hunch. The design and style of your writing instrument, the surface of your writing desk and your seating position play an important role in learning, as well as writing.

Some portable writing desks come with a book rest for comfortable reading. Not being confined to a certain area for writing, these portable writing stations, desks and slopes were designed for mobility of personal writing utensils, while adding style and function.

To understand the factors affecting the way we write, first start by examining the surface of your writing desk. If we think about jotting something down on a piece of paper without any support underneath, besides the support of our hands, we will see that our writing may not be very legible. Angles and surfaces become a major player as we look for support and stability when writing things down.

Try this experiment: Write something on a sheet of paper stationed on top of an unfinished wooden surface or a cultured marble surface. Even if you have fabulous penmanship, the texture in the natural state of these surfaces will not permit a smooth and fluid choreography between your writing instrument, paper and handwriting. Whether or not your writing area is portable or stationary, the design, dimensions, surface and angle of your writing surface are pivotal elements that ultimately affect your handwriting.

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