r/Handwriting • u/GenerationofWinter • 2d ago
Question (not for transcriptions) Do people actually write with cursive?
Coming from somebody born after 2000, I've never had a single class on how to write in cursive. I don't know how to and I've never had a reason to know how to nor have I seen somebody ACTUALLY use cursive until I saw a reddit post talking about it recently
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u/Mirasxl 3m ago
I was born in 2001, 1st grade to 3rd grade was for learning how to write legibly in general, I remember our first lesson in cursive was to literally copy a blackboard filled with a paragraph in cursive. I write in cursive when I'm making lecture notes in uni, but it's sometimes kind of a print cursive hybrid thing (I write faster this way).
I also write in cursive when I do journaling and making little animal log illustrations, where I draw an animal and write facts about it beside the drawing, but it's more of an aesthetic choice.
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u/Any_Sprinkles3760 21m ago
Here they still teach it, at least at some schools. So I think it depends on where you are from.
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u/look2thestars90 23m ago
I was a 90s kid and I think we were roughly the last generation to actually be taught cursive as part of our school curriculum. I consistently use cursive and print lettering. Cursive is always faster and better for stream of thought. It’s what I use when I have to quickly write something down because you don’t have to lift the pen/pencil as much. It also works in situations where you think faster than you write, it’s the only way I feel like I can keep up sometimes. Double plus bonus, if you don’t want anyone from a younger generation to understand your notes or journals, just write in cursive, it’ll take them forever to decipher it - perfect for parents with nosy children.
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u/xKuusouka 25m ago
I learned it in 2nd grade I think. I’d have to double check some of the letters, but I can read and write in cursive.
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u/Adoremenow 29m ago
Cursive all day everyday. When I have to print I manage a few words and always slip back into cursive
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u/SweetySama 30m ago
I was born 1985 learned cursive and block letters (I hope that’s the right term, im German). Today I write in mostly cursive with block letters strewn in between. Cursive is actually faster to write in my opinion, because you don’t need to lift the pen of the paper.
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u/BlueSkyla 39m ago
I learned to write in cursive but I hate how my cursive penmanship looks. But I know how to read and write in it nonetheless.
My older kids can’t even read cursive, let alone write it. They did have a few lessons about cursive a long time ago. But they changed school a couple times and it wasn’t as thing in the schools they changed to.
I’ve been trying to get my oldest (20) to at least learn how to write his name in cursive because he literally prints his signature. That’s really the main case usage that is mostly important I feel. But it would be good if he could at least read it too.
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u/DriveFit5673 41m ago
It took me a minute to even understand your question… Like how on earth do people write words and sentences by hand without cursive? I myself sometimes use a mix of print and cursive, but it strictly depends on the language I’m writing in. In Russian it’s always a mix - I somehow ended up liking both cursive and print versions of the «т» letter. In Chinese if I’m not in a rush and writing for myself (not for my students) I usually write cursive (well, if it counts actually…. It’s called xingshu 行书 and it’s not really like the cursive in Russian or English, but anyway) - because it’s sometimes complicated to read and understand for someone with a low level of Chinese. As for English language, it depends on whether I want print letters (usually use it for for headings in my class notes) or I want to have cursive letters (mainly for the notes themselves, as well as for everything else personal I write on my iPad).
So, yeah, it’s kinda essential for me 🤔
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u/BobaBabe13 41m ago
I write in cursive a lot. Partially I think it looks pretty and second, when I’m in a hurry, it’s easier for me to write in cursive than print. It’s also nice for if you wanna be fancy writing letters, stationery, name cards and wedding stuff! If you’re interested, there’s printable worksheets and stuff
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u/Efficient_Wheel_6333 43m ago
I was born in the 1980s; outside of when I need to sign my name, most of my writing is printed. Most of that is just because cursive is harder for me (some motor control issues when I was a kid due to being neurodivergent). Learning it was easy; making sure it was legible? Not so much. It took me until I was in college and actually had the time to practice for it to be legible and even now, if I have the time for my cursive to be legible, it is, but if I have to rush, it isn't. If I have to take any sort of notes, I prefer to type everything and grateful that I have a laptop that I can type with.
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u/BedSilent2814 44m ago
I was born in 2003 and it's my favorite way to write. 70% of the time it's half cursive n half print but the rest is all cursive lol
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u/SherbertFriendly6126 57m ago
When we were in elementary school, we had cursive writing lessons. I am currently 31 years old. From time to time, I try to write in cursive, but I can't commit to it. It depends on my mood 😅
And to answer your question yes, I had a high school friend who wrote everything in cursive. And as a teacher I've noticed that almost all of my colleagues over 50 write in cursive on the board.
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u/TemperMe 1h ago
I don’t know any personally. I mean aside from your signature on documents I’ve never needed it and that’s fine with me because for me I find it very slow
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u/happy_metalbluebird 39m ago
Cursive was designed to be quicker because u aren't lifting the pen off the paper. You have to be very comfortable with writing in cursive in order for it to work. I had to take a remedial class in writing because my cursive was so sloppy. A whole semester wasted.
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u/gertrude_is 1h ago
cursive is supposed to be the opposite of slow. that's an interesting take.
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u/TemperMe 56m ago
Going fast with cursive makes it illegible imo whereas print does not. This is the majority of what I’ve seen. Some people can pull it off but it seems rare
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u/dawatcherj 32m ago
Depends on who is writing to be honest lol. I know a lot of ppl who have illegible handwriting in print and some who can write really fast in cursive and it still stays legible.
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u/gertrude_is 50m ago
oh I see! yes I can see that. yeah if you're not doing cursive legibly it's bad lol
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u/WillingnessUnfair249 1h ago
I was taught cursive but rarely use it. If I’m writing for personal use, I usually write in a weird half cursive
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u/LadyTiaBeth 1h ago
Yes, I think I it's faster. Though I often end up using a mix of cursive and print.
I'm a millennial though and was taught cursive in elementary school. It wasn't required for written assignments much after that but I found it faster and easier to keep up with my thoughts.
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u/Atadsquiffy 1h ago
Even when jotting notes, I do it in cursive - way faster than printing, less effort too.
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u/thetiredninja 1h ago
Yes. I had a 7th grade math teacher who forced us to write our math notes in cursive (she was old as dirt, even way back then). It stuck, and I noticed no one asked to borrow my notes or copy my homework when I wrote in cursive.
Now I have a side gig making signs for businesses and weddings
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u/Dang_It_All_to_Heck 1h ago
My cursive looks terrible, so I haven't used it since junior high. My printing used to be good until my hands got a little shaky, but at least it's readable.
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u/iQuiteLikeSudoku 1h ago
I write with cursive nearly every day in my journal or while taking notes. My printing is affected by it in that I'll connect letters, but I usually either strictly print an entry or write in cursive. Printing for when spelling matters and cursive for when I want to write something quickly.
I usually get compliments if someone looks over my shoulder and sees my handwriting, like "oh it looks so pretty" and I feel bad because it is very bastardized lol
I didn't have any lessons about it in school, I started elementary the first year after they phased it out in my area. I just know how to use it because I was bored in class one day in grade 11 and followed a picture of the letters online lol. I've been using it for about three years now and it's honestly so good to know, it allows more freedom and speed than printing and it just looks really nice.
I knew of maybe one other student in my class who used it and handed in work with it, the teacher proclaimed that he had to be the only student in the school who still used it. When I was first starting out I wouldn't have handed in an assignment in it but now if I write a note to a friend or something I won't hesitate to write it in cursive. Partly because it looks much nicer than my printing and partly because I want to flaunt it. Legibility comes with practice, and even now my e's and c's can still look similar, and I'll sometimes skip an i or an n in a word.
Totally worth it though lol
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u/Nemo2oo5 2h ago
Sometimes I write my own little scribble form of frankenstein cursive? I'm more likely to just write in all caps tho
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u/NumerousCollection25 2h ago
I think it’s just a us thing that it’s not taught anymore, across Europe it seems to be common practice
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u/dirtygrandmagertrude 2h ago
Only when signing. When we learned it in 3rd and 4th grade we had to write papers with it. But I only use it in my signature. I think it should still be taught for that at least.
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u/PossibleDesigner7002 2h ago
I only learned cursive in 3rd grade so I have terrible cursive. But when I write regularly my lettered do tend to link together like cursive.
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u/MothMadeOfMud 2h ago
I was born in 2003. My elementary class was one of the last ones in my area to teach cursive. I personally use a mix of normal print and cursive, but I find that most of my peers can't actually read cursive.
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u/ShadowedRuins 2h ago
Considering it was all but beat into me, yes. In fact I tend to mix them, sometimes it's cursive, sometimes it's "print", sometimes I switch mid-sentence or even mid-word.
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u/Crafty_Scallion_2091 2h ago
It was never a class, just got added into writing practice in 3rd grade. Teachers think it’s a joke now, but they’ve been using whole language reading instruction for 25 years that blames parents when it doesn’t work.
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u/Obvious_Ingenuity379 2h ago
No. People can not read cursive well. Print is easier. I do love how beautiful cursive looks, but it takes longer to read.
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u/Bishoppess 2h ago
I am a billion times faster when I write in cursive. And yet, it's still too slow for how fast my brain wants to spit out words. I really do prefer it to print.
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u/rx_decay 2h ago
1996 here so 29f. I specifically remember third grade being very heavy on learning cursive. It takes way more effort for me to write in full print. Even my casual handwriting is more than half cursive.
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u/Bobpantyhose 2h ago
If I’m taking notes or something, like it’s for me to read, I use cursive for ease. It’s just faster. But if I want someone else to read it, I use print
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u/foggydreamer2 2h ago
I write in cursive all the time. My kids, born 1986 to 1994 refused to learn it. Sad
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u/Efficient_You_3976 2h ago
The last time that I used cursive for something other than signing my name was for the GMAT about 30 years ago. A question on the test needed to be done in cursive.
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u/msoudcsk 2h ago
How are people signing their names? Wait, is this why identity theft is so prominent. 😳
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u/sudo_grep 3h ago
i’m in my 40’s and almost exclusively write in cursive. it’s so much faster and my hands cramp less. god i’m so old 👵🏽
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u/Sad-Biscotti3822 3h ago
I’m 34 and I use cursive when I want my writing to look nice. My cursive is beautiful, my print is horrific 😂
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u/Specific_Character24 3h ago
I was born in ‘95 and was taught manuscript in early elementary school years and then in like 3rd/4th grade was taught cursive. I only stopped writing in cursive after 6th grade. Now my handwriting today is a mix of both. Even if I try to tell myself to only write in one, the other still sneaks its way in, but I’m okay with that bc I like my handwriting.
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u/lanky_worm 3h ago
My 2nd grader is learning it and I definitely did back in the 90s. Seems there is a huge gap in there somewhere where kids just weren't taught to read or write in cursive.
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u/jeenilou 3h ago
Definitely. Born after 2000 and we had to learn it + use it till 6th grade. It‘s become normal after that and many of my classmates use it to this day
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u/ZestySeason 3h ago
Born in ‘05 and I never had a cursive course in school, but I always liked how it looked. At the same time, my handwriting was always awful so I decided to teach myself how to write in cursive. It’s not terribly difficult to learn, and I’d say it’s worth it.
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u/Gloomy_Support_7779 3h ago
Yes. Born in 1998, was taught to write in cursive at age 9 in third grade. I think the American Education System just doesn’t require it anymore, but I still write in cursive for signatures and still know how to write 99% of the alphabet. The other 1% is because I always get confused with the capital F and capital T. Also, hate writing a capital Q in cursive.
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u/Smart_Coffee6005 3h ago
I was born in 96, and I have to consciously force myself to not use cursive when writing out lists for my staff at my summer job. I was taught in 2nd/3rd grade and had to use it for every paper assignment, including essays, until my freshman year of high school. In freshman year, a lot of my teachers started accepting typed assignments and non-cursive writing.
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u/mightymouse2975 3h ago
I taught my kids how to write and read in cursive since the schools out here don't. They each have an actual signature now, which is sadly a rarity where I live nowadays.
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u/meggomyeggo03 3h ago
Yes. Checks, prescriptions, lots of people still use cursive. I wish I knew it better, I'd for sure use it. I was born in 2003, and we had one class in like third grade on cursive and that's it
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u/Upstairs_Cost_3975 3h ago
Wait, how do you guys write with your handwriting if not in cursive? That’s the only way I was taught to write. Norwegian born in 92 here.
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u/unfunny_feline 3h ago
Í was born after 2000 and cursive is what Í always write in. It's just what's easiest for me.
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u/lastjabberwocky 3h ago
Born in '86 and taught to write it in 3rd grade. I write in kind of a mishmash of cursive and print. Like if I wrote out, "My family went to the zoo," some of my letters would not be the correct form of cursive (specifically some of the ts and definitely the z). I know how you are suppose to write them "properly" but some of them just look and feel wrong to write.
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u/jadesunny 3h ago
I was born in 2006 and had cursive classes growing up, i personally don’t use cursive but i know a lot of people my age or younger who do. I’m dutch though… maybe it depends on the country.
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u/Anabio91 3h ago
Can you read cursive? Cuz being able to read it is kinda important. I mean.... depending on how into history you are
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u/avachoen 3h ago
I'm from Brazil and here we learn cursive writing by default. My handwriting is a mix of both but there are even some places that only accept cursive writing.
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u/Aromatic_Plan7173 3h ago
I don't know how to not write in cursive, it's all I can write in lmao. I'm 26
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u/Embarrassed-Cause250 3h ago
Yes I do, I used to work for a government agency and you don’t realize how many people faced setbacks for sending in their loan applications with their signature printed out. I had to start explaining to new borrowers that signature meant signing their names in cursive 🤯
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u/Ok_Product398 3h ago
I am a high school teacher (9th) in the U.S., and many of my students do not know how to write in cursive. All of my students who are immigrants only write in cursive. I have had several students ask me to teach them, so I bought some dry-erase boards, and we work on handwriting as part of their warm-up.
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u/Golden_4_Life 3h ago
Good question. I did learn cursive at a very young age, like 5th standard I think, but the question just made me realize... I have never actually used it. I can still write it and with a bit of practice, I can also pick up a flow but yeah, I have never used it and don't think that I would need to in future too.
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u/Flabby_Abby2001 3h ago
I was born in 2001 and learned cursive in 3-5 grade (I moved schools halfway through this age and they had a different curriculum so I learned it twice) and I use it all the time. My standard handwriting is like half script half print and I write very quickly because of it. If I’m writing something like a letter or a note to my friends or partners, I always use cursive.
I learned typing the same way (twice in two different schools) and currently work in an office where typing how you’re “supposed to type” isn’t common because people weren’t taught.
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u/Indignant_Elfmaiden 3h ago
1996 here. I did elementary school in both the US and the UK. Taught myself how to write cursive in 2nd grade, then it was formally taught in the UK in 3rd grade (Year 4). Never had cursive taught to me in the US. I use cursive 95% of the time- it’s just more efficient.
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u/Kind_Buddy_7902 4h ago
If you want to research old documents they are written in cursive. Don’t you have a relative that could teach you? Before e-mail and messenger people used to write letters to communicate. We had to learn proper penmanship in schools. Old Historical documents are in cursive. How do you sign your name??
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u/Tournesol_12 4h ago
This is a very american question
I come from Belgium and that is all you learn at school I know a lot of country in Europe do to
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u/BeneficialTrash7881 4h ago
1994 here and I was taught cursive in elementary school. I cannot write in print
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u/MaleficentAd3453 4h ago
My two younger kids (5th and 6th grade) are in a Private Catholic School. They were taught cursive in first or second grade - my youngest only writes in cursive and my middle prints. 🤷🏼♀️
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u/Pale_Improvement_208 4h ago
This is also coming from someone who was born after 2000 as well but I was taught it by the near end of 2nd grade but didn't go further with it because I was homeschooled (idk why), but I usually want to use it whenever it's for a special occasion or I think it would look nice in like a junk journal.
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u/TielPerson 4h ago
I do write cursive only since learning it in second grade because it always went faster for me than writing print (which is why it was developed in the first place).
I do also think it looks more pretty.
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u/honeyweetbix 4h ago
I had some classes on cursive in primary school which ended at about 6th grade. I now write in a very odd mix of cursive and print because I never fully learned cursive, just part. Everyone says they love my writing but I just find it odd looking.
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u/crochetdragon79 4h ago
I prefer to write in cursive unless I'm writing something for my kids. They're teens and while they had one teacher try to teach them cursive, it wasn't insisted upon so they never use it. When I was in 4th grade or so, my teachers insisted you write all your homework in cursive, so I just got used to it. (Not everyone my age had this experience, so some only print.) Plus it's faster because you make whole words without lifting your pen, and it's prettier.
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u/SwimmingGlove9214 4h ago
In primary school (I'm not even that old, born 2004), we had to write in cursive until the 3rd grade. Then everyone was happy that we could write "normally". I usually don't write in cursive but my handwriting does feature some cursive elements to write faster or just more naturally. The only time I do write in cursive is when I want to make my handwriting look really nice.
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u/Anxious_Ad_1432 4h ago
i'm italian. here in Italy you can only write in cursive until middle school (even if cursive is still considered the "right" way) so all children can write in cursive. Teachers are very strict about that. As an italian i think it's weird that not everyone can write in cursive, is like a basic skill
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u/vexkitty 4h ago
I write in cursive faster than I print. But I kind of have a weird hybrid writing for quick notes.
Side note — I work as a teller and people between a certain age range don’t have a proper signature because they didn’t learn cursive in school and I feel like that is an unintended consequence that I find really interesting. Having an 18 year old just print their name as a signature feels so wrong.
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u/Main-Layer2892 4h ago
i’m a gen Z and yes, almost everyone I know writes in cursive. We were actually taught. We’re Brazilian.
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u/mizzbennet 4h ago
I write a mixture of the two. The faster I write, the more cursive it gets. I also sign my name in cursive. As someone who sees many signatures a day from all different ages, it's very strange seeing people write their name as their signature but it's happening often now.
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u/Dest-Fer 4h ago
I do hand write with cursive, the way I was told at school. I barely write hand anymore but when I do, it is cursive.
My 7 yo is now learning to write and writes with cursive too.
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u/NerveAware6924 4h ago
I write in cursive, much to my husband’s dismay. My children have been learning cursive in elementary school as well. Only one child has chosen to use it regularly though.
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u/trisibinti 5h ago
i still do. my wife and i rib our son sometimes because he doesn't know how to write in cursive. i also told him his mom's handwriting is one of the best in school when we were still in college.
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u/No_Weakness9363 5h ago
I had a couple times in my primary school where we took out our cursive practice packet to write cursive, but eventually we stopped altogether. I do use cursive for writing my signature (lots of people surprisingly don’t know how to write their actual signature or never had even made one) and I also use some cursive time to time if I’m making a fancy word or something, but I couldn’t tell you how to write some letters like Z, J, and whatever the capital A is. I completely forget how to link letters together too, but sometimes I just make it work.
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u/ili_mi 5h ago
i'm from bulgaria and we got taught how to write in cursive and we had to write this way until like 3rd grade, after that everyone developed their own handwriting which is a mix of cursive and not. I also got taught the english cursive and when i write in English i do the same- mix the cursive with the noncursive
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u/Gilgamais 5h ago
Depends on where you're from. In my country (France), everyone writes in cursive because that's the only way we are taught. If I recall correctly, it's also the case in Russia, and probably elsewhere.
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u/So_Many_Things_ 5h ago
Yes. And Gen X is happy that you can’t read it, so we can communicate in code that you can’t decipher.
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u/Own_Gazelle6808 5h ago
I saw someone say if all the cars were stick shift, clocks replacing digital time and everything in cursive people wouldn't know what to do..lol
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u/OdedNight 5h ago
I was born in 2001 and we were taught to write in cursive in primary school. I even got punished by a teacher for writing an exam in cursive because she couldn't understand what I wrote.
My writing now does have some elements of cursive
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u/kavanesi 5h ago
i write only in cursive :) and in school when they taught us how to wrtie we also were taught in cursive born in 2000
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u/Joysheart 5h ago
I’m 60 years old. This is mind blowing to me. My children are young adults and can write in cursive. My son, an engineer, prints primarily since he must at work.
My mom taught me to write cursive and print letters before kindergarten. We’re expecting our first grandchild any day. I think I’ll be doing the same with him. It’s an important skill to have. Especially to be able to read it.
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u/ClassicJicama9002 5h ago
I rarely write, but I do use cursive if I need to write anything down for another adult or when making lists etc. I’d feel like a kid if I wrote a note in print (especially if I couldn’t sign my own signature.)I don’t think it’s really necessary, but it’s worth learning. I think you should have an actual signature.
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u/GrimmTidings 5h ago
I'm Gen X, had many hours spent in school being taught cursive. I never write in cursive.
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u/JayceeRiveraofficial 5h ago
Yes! I only write cursive. It takes longer for me to write when I write in print, but with cursive it's just one fast swoop.
Not only is it very convenient but also it makes my notes look nice!
I only write in print if I have no reason to write fast.
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u/witchybxch 6h ago
When I was in elementary school, it was madatory. You got points deducted if your work was in print. Bc i spent a long time at that school, after i left that school, i stopped writing in cursive bc it was no longer mandatory. I started to miss it recently and started doing my school work(college) in cursive. Idk how i feel about it but it looks fancy for no reason.
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u/mobotsar 6h ago
I was born after 2000 in the US, and all of my handwriting instruction was in cursive. I use it every day that I write (which is not every day, but most).
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u/Lilruby5820 6h ago
Yes I typically write in script when I’m jotting down notes (Millenial, mid 30s)
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u/TheOnlyKirby90210 6h ago
I write in cursive when I’m scribbling in a journal or wiring notes. I have to write in standard lettering if it’s say a list someone else is going to use. I sign my signature in cursive always. It was standard to teach kids cursive writing back when I was in elementary school so that we knew how to read cursive and write our names professionally later in life. Penmanship was part of our grade and the rule was if the teacher couldn’t read your work it was an automatic zero, so yeah kids could actually flunk if they had chicken scratch handwriting. That was in the 90s before more access to computers was available in schools and teaching typing skills for printed essays replaced penmanship. By 2002 the no child left behind policy forced school systems to abandon certain courses and penmanship was one of them. I was trying to teach neat handwriting to my nephew when he was in middle school because his handwriting is illegible, he doesn’t even know how to compose hand written letters if he has to send something by mail, doesn’t known how to address an envelope, and he can’t read cursive at all. When his dad wrote him letters from prison when he was younger we’d have to read it to him because to him it just looked like loops and squiggles so his dad had to switch to writing in non-cursive. Nephew can’t even write in a neat row/column for something like math homework because he’s grown up doing his assignments in a computer.
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u/Few-Leather-2429 6h ago
If you were born after 2000, no.
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u/mobotsar 6h ago
I was and I do, lol. I was only ever taught cursive in public school.
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u/kavanesi 5h ago
literally
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u/mobotsar 5h ago
Sorry?
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u/Few-Leather-2429 6h ago
I watched a calligrapher doing hand-written cards at a high-end store. A 12 year old said, “What language is that?”
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u/Queen-of-Black 6h ago
Wow! I never thought that there where people out there who didn’t knew how to write in cursive, from where i am “Spanish speaking country” everyone writes in cursive at school, it’s the standard there, it’s even more uncommon to see people not writing in cursive. We still use pencil and paper after all.
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u/GenerationofWinter 6h ago
I'm from the US, pen and paper aren't used much but when it is I still don't see people use cursive, they just write normally
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u/Speedmeat 2h ago
Print writing isn't necessarily more "normal" than cursive, it's just what you're used to as an American. As the other commenter said, if you were in their country, you'd see cursive as normal.
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u/GoofyAhUncle 7h ago
Im in high school and I write in cursive, I write with it all the time
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u/haikusbot 7h ago
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u/FickleVirgo 7h ago
With all seriousness, how have you been taught to sign your name? My son was born only a little prior to 2000, but was taught cursive and although it's not the standard my generation was taught, he can sign his name in cursive. What is your signature even?
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u/GenerationofWinter 6h ago
Either my name that I write in a weird rectangular font or all the letters of my name scribbled together
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u/FickleVirgo 6h ago
Aw, this makes me a little sad. I guess we were taught that our "signature" was unique, as each of our cursive is in our own style, which is why those who don't know it have a hard time deciphering individual's cursive writing even though us who know, can read it just fine. Script or scribble seems like it loses some of that uniqueness and anybody could just scribble your name. If you care to learn, there are cursive training books that can teach you, if nothing else for your individual name's sake.
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u/CriticalMine7886 7h ago
I do, when I need to write by hand, although the quality is appalling.
In my defence, the quality has been consistently appalling for the last 50 years.
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u/Forthempire 7h ago
I teach cursive in my classes. For all of the reasons people have listed. These kids fine motor skills are appalling. I use it as a part of my spelling practice. The slow methodical writing ( at their age) helps them to remember how to spell the words.
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u/gozer87 7h ago
Cursive is easier on the hand when taking a lot of notes.
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u/sleepinginswimsuits 6h ago
Yes! I write in cursive because I’m lazy and don’t have to pick up my hand 😅😂
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u/Nipredil 7h ago
We all learn in Europe and many take notes that way even at uni. I know it seems useless, but the point is not that you need it every day as an adult. Some studies show if you write by hand, you memorize the material better or get more creative when writing an essay (no idea how anyone measured the creativity level though). Some other studies say learning cursive helps children with fine motor skills.
I worked in the usa for a bit and one of my biggest cultural schock was seeing educated adult struggling to write a few words on a piece of paper like a 7 year old
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u/MysticWaltz 7h ago
Yes. Not only was I born before 2000, but I actually took to cursive more easily than script. My cursive also just looks way better, I get compliments on it.
Cursive usually isn't too useful anymore, but I do recommend people learn their signature at the very least for paperwork. Though lots of people do often just do the first letter and then do some weird shitty scribble...
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u/Consistent_Ship_7035 7h ago
i think in most european countries kids learn cursive im school. i also learned so thats how i write
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u/PeacefulBro 7h ago
I learned cursive in elementary and I use it rarely as it seems everything is text and email now like Reddit...
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u/fauxfurgopher 7h ago
I can’t believe people DON’T write in cursive. It’s the only way I can write without my hand starting to hurt. It makes no sense to me that they no longer teach cursive because it really helps your hands and brain stay on track and energetic when writing and it only took a short while to learn. They spent about a half hour a day for about two weeks on it and we just all picked it up fairly quickly.
My 24 year old daughter says she can barely read it. 🤦🏻♀️
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u/Ok-Plankton-8139 6h ago
Your daughter already said it. It's barely readable. Why make it hard for others to read your writing especially when it's on a legal document.
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u/LongHairedFeline 8h ago
Yes i am an ‘06 and i write in cursive naturally.. i do remember my mother buying me a cursive tracing book because i had shown interest in cursive at a very young age idk why. I also tried to imitate others handwriting no matter how pretty or illegible it might’ve been. All those experimenting at such an young age probably had some effect. I won many handwriting competitions from school even though i wasnt ‘taught’ cursive like that ever.
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u/LongHairedFeline 8h ago
Lets not talk about how people cannot read cursive though. I find it pretty easy to read even if the style is different from mine lol.
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u/cellebee 8h ago
I naturally write in cursive and slanted. Writing one by one individually makes my fingers tired fast.
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u/Affectionate_Car5625 8h ago
My handwriting is a mix between cursive and noncursive. Was thought cursive in school to develop motor skills.
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u/Thepuppeteer777777 8h ago
I only sign in cursive I can still write it if I chose to but I rather write non cursive
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u/funkyfoxfreya 8h ago
I wish I could write in cursive, but I have such a bad handwriting I’ll never get near it
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u/SSPRacquetballPod 8h ago
Yes. I write better in cursive. 91’ baby. It’s useful, but not everybody can read in cursive so I am willing to type whatever need be if my cursive won’t work.
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u/basicznior2019 8h ago
I do sometimes. My handwriting tends to change and I'm not really happy with it - now it happens to resemble the style I recall from a schoolmate I disliked. In my best moments it resembles my father's handwriting.
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u/lategods 8h ago
born in 02. i usually write in cursive because i produce faster written outputs that way.
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u/Yorkie_Mom_2 8h ago edited 8h ago
I always write cursive unless "printing" is required on a form. Cursive is a lot faster for me than writing each letter individually. How do non-cursive writers sign their name?
Edited to add: I was born before 1960, and everyone was required to learn cursive. We learned "printing" in kindergarten and first grade, and we learned cursive in third grade. It's not hard to learn -- it's just a different way to write the letters. Connecting them together is smooth so it makes writing much faster.
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u/dekker-fraser 8h ago
I write in cursive for artistic reasons, but it’s obsolete…a remnant of the days when people needed it for quills.
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u/La10deRiver 8h ago
I do not find it obsolete. It is faster to write in cursive and it helps you to remember your words.
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u/dekker-fraser 8h ago
Hmm not so sure about the faster part
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u/La10deRiver 6h ago
Well, that depends of your goal. If you use it for artistic reasons, I imagine you are trying to make it super pretty, and that can takes time. But if you don't care for it looking so well, I think for most people cursive is faster. At least, if you have some practice. I take notes both in cursive and in printing, mainly depending of if I am planning to have my writing read by someone else or not. (my printing is easier to read for other people). I am way faster with cursive.
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u/dekker-fraser 5h ago
Yeah I guess my fastest writing would be more like a hybrid between printing and cursive, so not printing per se
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u/OGQueenClumsy 8h ago
I didn’t know cursive was needed for quills. Thanks for teaching me something new today!
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u/diemenschmachine 8h ago
I can only write in cursive. Problem is no one knows how to read it. Not because I write terrible but because people are cultural midgets. If I write in non cursive no one can read it because I write like a 5 year old.
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u/WillingnessDecent199 9h ago
Well, YEAH! Do you not ever need to print AND 'sign' your name on the same document? Sometimes it's like y'all are from another dimension, bc it just isn't possible to have everything change so drastically in a matter of two generations...or is it? Ain't like it was discovered on cave walls, and if you're dubious about the usage of cursive, well, there is stuff I could tell you that would blow your fucking mind.
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u/TiredWorkingStudent 9h ago
I'm not from America or Europe. But I remember learning to write cursive in kindergarten or early elementary. Not sure of the exact time but I was very young. Because of that I am able to write in cursive (but not as beautiful as the ones that I saw here (someone attached a picture)).
And in my daily life I don't write in cursive and no one around me does. So it just became a forgotten skill that I have. I'm still able to write in it but I have never used it except when I learned when I was a kid (kinda surprised myself when I tried to write and I still remember).
Plus, I feel like a lot of people don't really learn how to write cursive in school. I know a lot of people who doesn't know how to write cursive
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u/m4dfl0wer 9h ago
Unless I’m typing I can only write in cursive. Okay I born in 95, my partner in 96 we both write in cursive. But my younger siblings and cousins born after 1999, also only handwrite in cursive. I have college friends and work colleagues born after 2000, and they also only write in cursive.
It’s a requirement to learn cursive in our schools and school and college assignments sometimes are requested to be handwritten and that means cursive. Some of us had to learn fountain pen calligraphy as part of the syllabus (I never did but my partner had and a cousin of mine born in 2002 had to learn it as well). Part of college entrance exams is a handwritten essay and if you don’t use cursive you lose points. No one I know would risk it.
We are all in Europe, but I’m Brazilian and my partner is Kenyan. Some of my friends are European but most of them are immigrants as well, and I don’t know a single young or old that can’t write in cursive .
Maybe …. It’s not a generational thing but an education system issue ?
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u/Andylaforcedufruit 9h ago
I'm a teacher at an international French school. Cursive is mandatory and a part of the national education. Cursive is very much still alive.
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u/GurEmbarrassed8100 10h ago
I was born in 2006 and when we were actually learning to write (1st grade) it was in cursive. We literally had classes to practice our writing (probably many others too) but I don't remember how often and had a separate notebook for that. Only some years later some of my classmates started writing print. My writing looks very font like and most people can read it unless I write in a hurry/as fast as I can then I can't read some words myself.
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u/Caycelou 10h ago
I’m 32 and everything I write is a mix of cursive and print. It’s just ingrained in me now
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u/LovelyLemons53 9h ago
Same except I'm 35. It's a mix of printing and cursive - it's just faster this way
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u/TheoryShort4687 10h ago
In kindergarten, the only way we were allowed to write is cursive. Thankful for that honestly, every time I sign my name I get a compliment on it
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u/CathcartTowersHotel 10h ago
Every day. Almost all of my drafts start with pen in hand. It’s also good for your brain.
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u/Gilded-LeeLee 10h ago
I write pretty much everything in cursive except legal forms, and I was born in the early 90s. I think I just feel like the continuous movement of the pen gets me in the zone, and my ideas and words flow more smoothly.
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u/Acceptable_Dog_8209 10h ago
I'm 28 and learned it in primary school. I don't think we learn it to actually use it. It teaches fine motor control. That's also what enables us to zip zips or do up buttons or type on our phones. I'm also a teacher BTW.
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u/satsukibeee 10h ago
Im 27 and we had to learn it in elementary school. Also had an English teacher in middle school that only accepted papers in cursive. After that class though I was never required to write in cursive again. I only do it every now and then for fun when I'm journaling but I write in print most of the time. But don't you need to know cursive to write a signature? Do the younger generations just print their signature on documents? I knew it was getting to be less common to use but didn't realize they weren't teaching it at all anymore.
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u/YodlinThruLife 11h ago
Everything I write is in cursive, even on the computer. It's faster and more legible, even on the computer when i use the pen. I also make my 4th graders use it.
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u/WillingnessDecent199 9h ago
Thank you for that. I swear it's becoming a lost art form; and noone ever thought that could happen. I like your username, btw.
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u/Immediate-Principle3 11h ago
It's important. Assuming your American, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and like every other super important document that protects the citizens is in cursive.... If there's nobody left who can read it effectively then they can tell you it says whatever they want it to and nobody would know any better. Reading and writing go hand in hand, cursive is a skill you should work on and encourage others if you can.
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u/crystalxclear 11h ago
In my school we had to write in cursive in elementary. They actually didn't teach print and simply wouldn't even accept it. Somehow we all started writing in print by middle school though.
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u/dropitlikeitshot8 11h ago
I’m 42 and yes I still write in cursive and only learned this year they no longer teach it in school anymore . Being a kid I remembered having to write multiple sentences on a notepad during class till it was perfect . I love my handwriting 🙂
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u/Esytotyor 11h ago
If you do not learn cursive-I would’ve lost Everything my Grandparents wrote. Recipes. Letters. Captions under photos. However -I write cursive/printing Tried to write a note in all cursive the other day-oof!
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u/TheseLetterhead20 11h ago
One very good reason to take it upon yourself to learn cursive (at least to be able to read it) if they're no longer teaching it in schools, would be the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights!!! They're written in cursive! And are both very important documents that you should be able to read and understand! Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it and a public of people who can't read or understand their own rights could easily be the start of stripping them away of their rights!
I was born in 1990. I learned cursive in the 3rd grade. Starting in about 8th grade I started experimenting with my own artistic & made up versions of some of the capital letters I didn't really care for, so that my handwriting is a mix of print and cursive (and even more so if it's something I'm just writing quickly and casually). When I try to write in print, unless it's for an important form where I take my time, it usually ends up defaulting back and becoming mixed. When I take my time, I think it looks nice enough, it's not illegible at least, I don't think.
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u/lobo_blanco_0257 0m ago
I was born in the early 80s. I learned cursive in elementary school. I continue to use it to this day. It’s faster for me than print.