{"id":2947,"date":"2021-09-23T09:56:05","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T13:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/?p=2947"},"modified":"2021-09-23T14:03:31","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T18:03:31","slug":"cursive-the-revival-of-a-lost-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/23\/cursive-the-revival-of-a-lost-form\/","title":{"rendered":"Cursive: The Revival of a Lost Form of Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Ava DePersio<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cursive is a style of writing that can be used to write down information faster, while also being in an elegant format. Even though cursive has been around, there has been a decline of its presence in schools. However, in the state of Florida, cursive is becoming more present in its school standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

   Florida is bringing cursive back. Florida has been working to get cursive back into the main curriculum, but it was not until February 7, 2020, that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed Florida B.E.S.T, (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking), that the push for cursive became more noticeable. According to \u2018Florida Politics\u2019 (floridapolitics.com), it states, \u201cGov. Ron DeSantis\u2026 [said the] standards [for Florida B.E.S.T] is complete.\u201d With the establishment of Florida’s new standard of Florida B.E.S.T, there are, \u201c… changes [that include] the requirements [that] children learn cursive,\u201d according to \u2018Florida Politics\u2019. With this change in standards, cursive will be more prominent in Florida schools. <\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n

    While cursive has become less common with the increase in technology, it does have a long history. According to \u2018History.com\u2019, a form of what we know today as cursive, has been around since the fifth century A.D. It states, \u201c\u2026 Ancient Romans were among the first to develop written script\u2026 it included early versions of lowercase letters and flowed like modern cursive.\u201d Instead of block letters that writing in print forms, cursive is more of a hybrid because it is a combination of different writing styles to form this flowy writing. The teaching of cursive included, \u201c…students [being able] to form loopy characters between horizontal lines on chalkboards\u2026 and was designed to ease the transition from printing to cursive writing,\u201d according to \u2018History.com\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  With cursive back in the classrooms, many wonder if it is even practical anymore with assignments now being online, and the strenuous amounts of time it takes to learn such a skill. Many students may not have been taught cursive because it was not required, or did not continue the skill after it was taught. A Ponte Vedra High School senior, said, \u201c\u2026 I learned cursive in the third grade\u2026 at [a private school].\u201d Another PVHS senior, commented, \u201cWhen I was younger I did not know cursive, I learned it from my mom\u2026 I went to a public school in Miami.\u201d Some may find writing in cursive a challenge, so even if they were taught it, they may not use it because of that. People might have learned cursive but do not use it, or were never taught it at all because it was not required in their class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

   In a randomly selected group\u2014 consisting of students from all four grades\u2014 the participants were asked whether they could read or write in cursive, and if they had learned it in school. Out of the seven students in each grade asked, all grade levels had at least one student who knows how to read and write in cursive. All but one of the students in total said they were taught cursive in school. More juniors said they did not know how to read or write it that well, even though they were taught it. While this survey is not representative of the entire school\u2014since only a few students from each grade were asked\u2014it shows that many did learn cursive, but may choose not to use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

   Writing in cursive is one thing, but being able to read it is another obstacle. Students who did not learn how to write in cursive may find it challenging to read in cursive, since they are not familiar with that way of writing. Also, cursive is different from writing in print, because it is not individually spaced out with each letter, and thus makes the characters difficult to distinguish. These different variations of cursive can make it hard to read. \u201cI can read it most times but not always,\u201d said a PVHS junior. What will help make cursive easier to read is if people learn how to write it. A PVHS senior, commented, \u201cI think [cursive] is essential to learn, it helps you read it when other people write in cursive.\u201d Being able to read and write cursive go hand-in-hand, and there may be a rise in students being able to read cursive if they are also taught how to write it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n