Today's Students Less Skilled at Cursive Writing

According to an October 11, 2006 article from The Washington Post, the art of cursive writing is on the decline. In today's electronic age, the majority of written communication is done via a keyboard - even in elementary schools. A 2003 survey found that, rather than the emphasis that was placed on learning to read and write longhand in the 1940s and 1950s, most elementary school students now receive no more than 10 minutes of cursive instruction per day. Some educators view this as a necessary change, brought about by the increased emphasis on reading, mathematics and standardized test results. Others, however, fear that an inability to read or write cursive will diminish the ability of future generations to foster individuality or connect with historical figures.

The article is available at the MSNBC Web site.