YOU
TRAVEL ON THE LODGE.
OVER TO YOU.
♪♪
>> Evrod: IT IS 6:47.
ALL WEEK, ALL THIS WEEK, WE'RE
HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL.
>> Rhonda: AND ONE OF THE THINGS
WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT
IS THIS WHOLE CURSIVE WRITING
PHENOMENON.
IN SOME ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS,
THERE'S A GROWING DEBATE OVER
WRITING IN CURSIVE.
IS IT STILL A VALUABLE SKILL IN
THIS INCREASINGLY HIGH-TECH
WORLD?
>> Evrod: DR. McGEORGE DIVES
INTO THE DEBATE.
>> Dr. McGeorge: CURSIVE WRITING
IS BEING CUT BUT SOME STATES ARE
FIGHTING BACK.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN LOUISIANA WILL
BE REQUIRED TO TEACH CURSIVE BY
THIRD GRADE.
JOINING AT LEAST 13 OTHER STATES
THAT MANDATE CURSIVE.
IT IS NOT REQUIRED IN MICHIGAN
TAUGHT.
>> I WRITE FASTER IN CURSIVE AND
TAKE NOTES ON THE JOB.
>> KIDS A SPOILED WITH COMPUTERS
AND TYPING EVERYTHING IN.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT INVOLVES
PATIENCE FROM THE PARENTS AND
THE KIDS.
>> I BELIEVE CURSIVE IS BETTER.
IT'S MORE ADVANCED.
AND IT'S MORE ARTISTIC.
IT REQUIRES A LOT OF
CONCENTRATING.
>> Dr. McGeorge: BUT NOT
EVERYONE IS CONVINCED.
HONESTLY.
IF PEOPLE WANT TO DO IT
ARTISTICALLY, THEY CAN LEARN IT
BY THEMSELVES.
>> I THINK CURSIVE IS WRITING
SIGNATURES, BUT THE WAY
NOT AS RELEVANT.
>> Dr. McGeorge: IS THERE AN
EDUCATIONAL BENEFIT TO LEARNING
CURSIVE?
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.
>> I THINK THE MORE IMPORTANT
QUESTION TO ASK, IS HANDWRITING
IN GENERAL IMPORTANT?
STUDIES THAT WE HAVE DEFINITELY
SHOW THAT HANDWRITING IS
IMPORTANT FOR LEARNING AND
IMPORTANT FOR RETAINING
INFORMATION.
>> Dr. McGeorge: THAT'S BECAUSE
HANDWRITING IS A MORE COMPLEX
PROCESS IN THE BRAIN.
IN FACT, A STUDY FOUND COLLEGE
STUDENTS WHO TOOK NOTES BY HAND
PERFORMED BETTER ON TESTS
COMPARED TO STUDENTS WHO TOOK
NOTES ON A LAPTOP.
>> ONCE YOU LEARN TO TYPE, YOU
CAN GO PRETTY FAST.
BUT HANDWRITING IS, BY NATURE,
GONNA BE SLOWER.
YOU HAVE TO ABLE TO THINK AND
WRITE IT DOWN AT THE SAME TIME.
P>> Dr. McGeorge: IS THERE A
PRINTING?
IT DEPENDS.
OPTION.
>> YOU HAVE TO PICK UP YOUR
PENCIL FROM THE PAPER AND ALL
THE LETTERS ARE CONNECTED AND
IT'S MUCH MORE FLUID, SO
SOMETIMES CHILDREN DO BETTER IF
THE PEN AND THOUGHTS ARE FLOWING
TOGETHER WITH FEWER
INTERRUPTIONS.
>> Dr. McGeorge: SHE HAS HER
GREAT GRANDFATHER'S SPELLING
BOOK FROM 1905.
>> TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL CURSIVE
HANDWRITING COMPARED TO PRINT.
THIS.
KIDS...
>> IT'S GOOD TO OFFER BOTH AND
THEY PICK WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM.
>> Dr. McGeorge: AND IF YOU NEED
ANOTHER ARGUMENT, THERE'S THIS
IN 12-YEAR-OLD ELLA.
>> I THINK IT'S GOOD TO KNOW,
BECAUSE MY PARENTS WRITE IN
CURSIVE, AND SOMETIMES I CAN'T
READ WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
>> Dr. McGeorge: AN OLD JOKE
THAT SOME DAYS US OLD FOLKS CAN
USE CURSIVE AS OUR SECRET CODE.
WE FOUND SUPPORT FOR KEEPING
CURSIVE AROUND BUT DID NOT FIND
THEMSELVES.
BACK TO YOU.
FOR ME.
>> Rhonda: IT'S MORE LEGIBLE FOR
A LOT OF PEOPLE, TOO.
>> Evrod: I THINK ONE THING THAT
IS IMPORTANT IS TO MAKE SURE
THAT YOUR WRITING IS LEGIBLE.
WE HAVE A SEGMENT PRODUCER IN
THE NEWSROOM, HER WRITING IS
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO READ.
SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS.
>> Rhonda: WOW, CALLING PEOPLE
OUT.
>> Evrod: SAYING EVERYTHING BUT
HER GOVERNMENT NAME.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
HEAD OVER TO OUR LOCAL 4
WHY NOT TO KEEPING IT IN THE