4 ms·

Finland: Typing takes over as handwriting lessons end

9 points by Libertatea 12y ago

bluedevil2k 12y ago
I had exactly the same thought when I learned my daughter would be learning cursive in 2nd grade. What an incredible waste of time - who writes cursive at all any more? Compare that question to "who uses a keyboard to type?" And I think you have the answer to handwriting vs. typing.
- jozan 12y ago
  Just guessing but I think learning cursive improves fine motor skill which might be more important than writing cursive. I personally prefer teaching typing over handwriting.
jqm 12y ago
About time. I have been making this argument for 10 years and being met with mostly people who don't agree. For whatever reason, most people think we need to keep doing whatever we have been doing even though the situation is manifestly changed. As another poster points out, cursive in particular is pretty much a waste of valuable learning time at this point IMHOP.
swimfar 12y ago
Honest question, how common are typing lessons in Europe? Is it uncommon in some countries? Because I've worked and studied in France and Germany with people from all over and was surprised at how uncommon typing skills seem to be. Many people even told me they don't think it's a useful skill. I had typing courses in elementary school (where they would bring in stand-alone typing keyboards) and in high school. But maybe it's uncommon in the US as well and I was just lucky. I also did have a year or two of cursive writing.
- seanmcdirmid 12y ago
  I had a typing class in my US high school, so I doubt it is uncommon (though this was in the early 90s on PC JRs).
  - ap3 12y ago
    We had typing in middle-school in Mexico in the early 90's, but it was on typewriters (Olivetti's that we had to lug to school) It has proven invaluable as a software engineer. I still prefer to take handwritten notes, but my handwriting has gotten progressively worse - use it or lose it.
- agersant 12y ago
  Never heard of any in France (where I grew up).
norswap 12y ago
Is this only about cursive handwriting? Because I'm baffled how people would find handwriting a useless skill. I find taking note by hand much more easy than using a keyboard (maybe if there was a quality note-taking software around, but using some text editor or even Word is a big no-no). Now of course I often wish I could grep through my handwritten notes, but there some solutions for that (OCR pens).
- chestnut-tree 12y ago
  I'm baffled too. Language is central to culture. If you can't pick up a pencil or pen and contruct the letter forms that make up the alphabet reasonably fluently because you weren't taught properly, isn't that a bit depressing? Writing can encourage a love of lettering and letter forms. Sure, you can take this up in later years but it's better to learn from an early age. And as another poster says, learning to control a pen with precision is a valuable motor skill. Anyway, it's not clear in the article if this is just about cursive handwriting or all handwriting.

9 points by Libertatea 12y ago

I had exactly the same thought when I learned my daughter would be learning cursive in 2nd grade. What an incredible waste of time - who writes cursive at all any more? Compare that question to "who uses a keyboard to type?" And I think you have the answer to handwriting vs. typing.

jozan 12y ago
Just guessing but I think learning cursive improves fine motor skill which might be more important than writing cursive. I personally prefer teaching typing over handwriting.

jqm 12y ago

About time. I have been making this argument for 10 years and being met with mostly people who don't agree. For whatever reason, most people think we need to keep doing whatever we have been doing even though the situation is manifestly changed. As another poster points out, cursive in particular is pretty much a waste of valuable learning time at this point IMHOP.

swimfar 12y ago

Honest question, how common are typing lessons in Europe? Is it uncommon in some countries? Because I've worked and studied in France and Germany with people from all over and was surprised at how uncommon typing skills seem to be. Many people even told me they don't think it's a useful skill. I had typing courses in elementary school (where they would bring in stand-alone typing keyboards) and in high school. But maybe it's uncommon in the US as well and I was just lucky. I also did have a year or two of cursive writing.

seanmcdirmid 12y ago
I had a typing class in my US high school, so I doubt it is uncommon (though this was in the early 90s on PC JRs).
- ap3 12y ago
  We had typing in middle-school in Mexico in the early 90's, but it was on typewriters (Olivetti's that we had to lug to school) It has proven invaluable as a software engineer. I still prefer to take handwritten notes, but my handwriting has gotten progressively worse - use it or lose it.
agersant 12y ago
Never heard of any in France (where I grew up).

norswap 12y ago

Is this only about cursive handwriting? Because I'm baffled how people would find handwriting a useless skill. I find taking note by hand much more easy than using a keyboard (maybe if there was a quality note-taking software around, but using some text editor or even Word is a big no-no). Now of course I often wish I could grep through my handwritten notes, but there some solutions for that (OCR pens).

chestnut-tree 12y ago
I'm baffled too. Language is central to culture. If you can't pick up a pencil or pen and contruct the letter forms that make up the alphabet reasonably fluently because you weren't taught properly, isn't that a bit depressing? Writing can encourage a love of lettering and letter forms. Sure, you can take this up in later years but it's better to learn from an early age. And as another poster says, learning to control a pen with precision is a valuable motor skill. Anyway, it's not clear in the article if this is just about cursive handwriting or all handwriting.