Last week, a simple note written in cursive sparked a surprising debate in my household. My son, after returning from a day’s absence from school, was given makeup work instructions penned in elegant, looping script by his teacher. The ensuing interaction highlighted a growing question in education today: is Learning Cursive still a necessary skill in a digital age?
Here’s how it unfolded. My son, genuinely perplexed, approached his teacher.
Son: Mrs. Soandso, excuse me, I‘m sorry, but I can’t read your writing.
He politely returned the note. His teacher, according to him, offered a disapproving smirk. The unspoken sentiment hung in the air: Another student who didn’t learn to read or write cursive. But then, something unexpected happened. She looked at the note again, a puzzled expression creeping onto her face.
Mrs. Soandso: Why didn’t you bring this to me sooner? I can’t remember what I wrote!
She, the writer, couldn’t decipher her own cursive! This incident, humorous as it was, opened up a larger discussion in our home – and online – about the relevance of cursive in today’s world. It plunged me into what I’ve come to call the Great Cursive Debate of 2024.
My initial, perhaps slightly provocative, thought was: “It was difficult for doctors to give up leeches for modern medicine, but after the witch uprising was put down, it seemed like the right thing to do. We can shed cursive in the same manner.”
This analogy, shared online, ignited a firestorm. Old-school English teachers and grammar enthusiasts, particularly on platforms like Reddit, responded with passionate, often personal, attacks. I was labeled a “language traitor,” among less printable insults. The fervor was reminiscent of something out of Star Wars – a “wretched hive of scum and villainy” – or a scene from True Grit. Let’s just say, the online dictionary and Urban Dictionary became essential tools for translating some of the more colorful critiques.
Despite the online backlash, I remained convinced. The arguments for keeping cursive in the curriculum, often presented as airtight and data-driven, seemed to rely more on sentiment than practicality. These arguments generally fall into a few predictable categories:
- Tradition. The “we’ve always done it this way” argument. (A logical fallacy when evaluating merit.)
- “I had to learn it.” Not exactly a compelling reason for current students. (Similar logic could justify still considering Pluto a planet.)
- Cursive is faster! A widely circulated myth. Studies haven’t consistently proven this, and typing speed often surpasses handwriting speed in professional and academic settings.
- “We can’t make things too easy for students.” An argument that seems to equate difficulty with value, without considering relevance.
- Signatures! The idea that cursive is essential for personal authentication. (Ironically, captcha exists largely because of issues with handwriting recognition.)
- It’s beautiful. An aesthetic argument. While calligraphy is undeniably beautiful, everyday cursive often falls short. (Consider the example of handwriting_st_thomas.jpg – is this always the standard of beauty people are advocating for?)
Meanwhile, while the debate over cursive handwriting continues, countries like Estonia are taking a different approach to preparing their students for the future.
Estonia: A Case Study in 21st-Century Skills
Estonia, often called “E-stonia,” is a nation renowned for its technological advancements and digital society. Significantly, Estonia also consistently outperforms the United States in reading, math, and science scores. Their educational priorities reflect this future-forward approach. As Parmy Olsen of Forbes noted in her article “Why Estonia Has Started Teaching Its First Graders To Code,” Estonia has introduced coding to first graders.
The goal isn’t solely to create a generation of app developers. Instead, it’s about fostering “people who have smarter relationships with technology, computers and the Web.” This approach suggests a fundamental shift in educational priorities. If we are looking for areas in the curriculum to replace outdated skills with those vital for the 21st century, prioritizing coding over cursive seems like a logical step. Estonian first graders are developing the foundational logic and problem-solving skills necessary for coding – skills far more practically applicable in the modern world.
Image: A quote image featuring Mark Zuckerberg’s perspective on the importance of coding and its widespread applicability.
The Compelling Reasons to Learn Coding
Madeline McSherry of Slate eloquently captures the essence of this shift. In her article, she states, “Coding is the hottest skill on the job market, the modern-day language of creativity, and a powerful force in the economy.” This statement underscores the multifaceted value of coding education.
Here are four key reasons why integrating coding into education is crucial:
- Language of the Modern World: Coding is the fundamental language that powers the technology we interact with daily. Understanding code provides a deeper comprehension of our digital environment.
- Cross-Disciplinary Applications: Coding isn’t limited to technology-centric fields. It extends its reach into art, music, science, and countless other disciplines, offering a powerful creative outlet in the digital age.
- Empowering Entrepreneurship: The digital landscape is ripe with opportunities for young entrepreneurs. Coding skills unlock these opportunities, leveling the playing field and fostering innovation.
- Future-Proof Skills: Regardless of specific career paths, coding is a future-ready skill applicable across diverse industries. The demand for individuals with coding proficiency is only projected to grow.
Ian Quillian of Mindshift further elaborates on the broader benefits of learning to code, identifying these additional advantages:
- Subject Mastery: Coding necessitates a strong grasp of the subject matter being coded. You can’t program effectively without in-depth knowledge.
- Systems Thinking: Coding inherently involves understanding systems, inputs, and outcomes. It cultivates a valuable systems-oriented mindset.
- Collaboration: Modern software development is often a team effort. Coding education fosters collaborative skills essential for the workplace.
- Passion and Application: Coding skills can be applied to virtually any field a student is passionate about, allowing for personalized and engaging learning experiences.
Image: An image containing a quote emphasizing the broad cognitive benefits of learning programming, extending beyond mere technical skills.
Programming, at its core, fosters crucial cognitive skills: research, planning, outlining, collaboration, testing, troubleshooting, and critical re-evaluation. It’s a demanding form of language study, requiring attention to syntax and stylistic precision. It bridges theory and practice, demanding conceptual understanding, logical proofs, and strategic thinking. Even if a specific programming language becomes outdated, the underlying programming skills remain invaluable, providing a transferable foundation for learning new languages and adapting to evolving technologies.
Getting Started with Coding Education
For parents and educators looking to introduce coding to students, numerous excellent resources are readily available:
- Code Avengers: http://www.codeavengers.com/
- Code Academy: http://www.codecademy.com
- Code.org: http://www.code.org/
- Gamestar Mechanic: http://gamestarmechanic.com/join/CodingPlus/free
- Scratch: http://scratch.mit.edu/
- Hackety Hack: http://www.hackety.com/
For iPad and iPhone:
- Hakitzu: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hakitzu-code-of-the-warrior/id599976903?mt=8
- Cargo-Bot: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cargo-bot/id519690804?mt=8
My own children, in 8th and 6th grade, are learning to code through Code Academy. In a short time, they’ve progressed from basic awareness to developing impressive skills, far surpassing my own understanding. We’ve even implemented a household rule: access to devices that run on code (computers, smartphones, gaming consoles) requires completing a daily Code Academy lesson. Interestingly, this isn’t met with resistance. They are genuinely engaged by coding, finding it fascinating to understand how it works and to see their own code come to life – a similar sense of accomplishment, perhaps, to mastering cursive.
During my intense online cursive debate, I posed a question to my kids: which is more important to learn, cursive or coding? Their reaction was one of amused disbelief, as if I were presenting an absurd riddle. They burst into laughter.
“Seriously, Dad? You’re kidding, right?”
“Cursive is basically just a font, Dad!”
“Can we also learn Helvetica or Impact or Verdana or Windings?”
“We might actually need those one day!”
“Is BeDazzled a font?”
“Can we learn to write in BeDazzled?”
“Yeah, but only if we can use the BeDazzler!”
Their responses, while lighthearted, perfectly encapsulate the perspective of a generation growing up in a digital world. While cursive might hold a nostalgic or historical value, the skills that truly empower them for the future lie in understanding and creating with code. The debate isn’t necessarily about eliminating cursive entirely, but about prioritizing what skills are most crucial for success in the 21st century and beyond.
