My mother's penmanship is a work of art. Each stroke of her pen flows effortlessly across the page, forming letters with grace and precision. I remember watching her write notes and letters with admiration, marveling at how she could make even the most mundane words look elegant.
As I grew older, I found myself striving to emulate her beautiful handwriting. I practiced for hours on end, carefully shaping each letter and trying to capture the same sense of fluidity and style. But no matter how hard I tried, my handwriting never quite matched hers.
Despite my efforts, my mother's penmanship remained a benchmark of excellence, a standard I could only aspire to reach. Yet, in the process of trying to imitate her, I developed my own unique handwriting, a reflection of my personality and experiences.
While my handwriting may never rival my mother's in beauty, it carries with it a sense of pride and individuality. And though our styles may differ, the connection between us remains evident in the strokes of each letter, a silent tribute to the influence she has had on me, both as a writer and as a person.
If you have children you will remember learning cursive used to be a fundamental part of grade school education, involving repetitive practice of each letter on lined paper, meticulously inspected by instructors for uniformity. However, the landscape of education has evolved, with modern students now equipped with tablets rather than traditional writing tools. This shift has sparked debate about the decline of penmanship and the reasons behind the diminishing use of cursive.
Historically, good penmanship held significant cultural weight, symbolizing wealth, privilege, and access to education. Ancient civilizations like the Romans developed early scripts for written communication, while Charlemagne's efforts in the eighth century led to standardized forms like Carolingian minuscule. The Renaissance saw the emergence of elegant styles like italic script, further popularized by writing schools in the American Colonies.
As cities expanded and job opportunities diversified, strong writing skills, including cursive proficiency, became essential for success. However, the advent of typewriters in the 20th century marked a turning point. Typing, seen as a crucial skill for modern professionals, supplanted handwriting in educational curricula. With the rise of computers, email, and texting, emphasis shifted towards digital literacy, leading to the removal of cursive from many school programs by the early 2000s. Were you aware that in 2010 the Common Core State Standards came up with the idea that American students didn’t need to use cursive so schools started dropping it.
Yet, recent studies have highlighted the cognitive benefits of handwriting, suggesting that it enhances memory and cognitive processes more effectively than typing. As a result, several states have reintroduced cursive into their education standards, recognizing its importance in developing fine motor skills and cognitive functions.
The resurgence of cursive in classrooms offers hope for the revival of penmanship as a cherished skill. Perhaps, in the coming years, we may witness a return to handwritten correspondence as a nostalgic trend, bridging the gap between traditional practices and modern technologies. My wish is that my children will look at my handwriting and inspire their children to learn the value and pride that comes with beautiful cursive writing.
As I grew older, I found myself striving to emulate her beautiful handwriting. I practiced for hours on end, carefully shaping each letter and trying to capture the same sense of fluidity and style. But no matter how hard I tried, my handwriting never quite matched hers.
Despite my efforts, my mother's penmanship remained a benchmark of excellence, a standard I could only aspire to reach. Yet, in the process of trying to imitate her, I developed my own unique handwriting, a reflection of my personality and experiences.
While my handwriting may never rival my mother's in beauty, it carries with it a sense of pride and individuality. And though our styles may differ, the connection between us remains evident in the strokes of each letter, a silent tribute to the influence she has had on me, both as a writer and as a person.
If you have children you will remember learning cursive used to be a fundamental part of grade school education, involving repetitive practice of each letter on lined paper, meticulously inspected by instructors for uniformity. However, the landscape of education has evolved, with modern students now equipped with tablets rather than traditional writing tools. This shift has sparked debate about the decline of penmanship and the reasons behind the diminishing use of cursive.
Historically, good penmanship held significant cultural weight, symbolizing wealth, privilege, and access to education. Ancient civilizations like the Romans developed early scripts for written communication, while Charlemagne's efforts in the eighth century led to standardized forms like Carolingian minuscule. The Renaissance saw the emergence of elegant styles like italic script, further popularized by writing schools in the American Colonies.
As cities expanded and job opportunities diversified, strong writing skills, including cursive proficiency, became essential for success. However, the advent of typewriters in the 20th century marked a turning point. Typing, seen as a crucial skill for modern professionals, supplanted handwriting in educational curricula. With the rise of computers, email, and texting, emphasis shifted towards digital literacy, leading to the removal of cursive from many school programs by the early 2000s. Were you aware that in 2010 the Common Core State Standards came up with the idea that American students didn’t need to use cursive so schools started dropping it.
Yet, recent studies have highlighted the cognitive benefits of handwriting, suggesting that it enhances memory and cognitive processes more effectively than typing. As a result, several states have reintroduced cursive into their education standards, recognizing its importance in developing fine motor skills and cognitive functions.
The resurgence of cursive in classrooms offers hope for the revival of penmanship as a cherished skill. Perhaps, in the coming years, we may witness a return to handwritten correspondence as a nostalgic trend, bridging the gap between traditional practices and modern technologies. My wish is that my children will look at my handwriting and inspire their children to learn the value and pride that comes with beautiful cursive writing.