Now that primary grade schools are no longer teaching cursive Handwriting in class, the actual act of handwriting will soon become a form of artistic expression rather than a means of communication. Children are learning actual printing in the early years of school, but as they progress through elementary school, handwriting is being replaced by typing on computers. What does that mean for the communication of future generations?

If children are only learning how to write their signatures in school, will they develop the flair that comes from the practice of taking the pen to paper? Handwriting experts can tell a lot about a person from their signature as well as their everyday writing. Personality characteristics and traits are readily apparent in handwriting samples. The same will not be true of typing techniques!

History of Handwriting

The earliest forms of handwriting were of hieroglyphics and drawings on the walls in ancient Egypt. In those days, a picture was a worth a thousand words because there was no formal written language. The first known written language is in the Sumerian texts that date to the 26 century BC. In the earliest of times only the most scholarly individuals were entrusted with the written word and were widely respected for copying texts with the utmost precision, making handwriting not only a scholastic endeavor, but an artistic one as well.

As language spread throughout the world, handwriting became a commonplace education tool. Both reading and writing were no longer just taught to the wealthy and intelligent but eventually became a basic need for all children progressing through any education system anywhere in the world. Penmanship even used to be a grade on your report card! It appears that now we are going back to the origination of handwriting with these skills only being in the hands of the few and not the masses.

Handwriting Still Has A Special Place

As some of us watch in dismay as society reduces the amount of handwriting that children do, OrnamentShop.com celebrates this beautiful art-form with every hand-personalized ornament that leaves our store. We believe that what makes Christmas special and unique is that we give each ornament our personal care, consideration and style to make your Christmas decorating unique and meaningful.

As children beg their parents not to write them cards or notes in cursive because they can’t read them and you watch as their printing become increasingly illegible over the years, you can be sure that OrnamentShop.com will still celebrate the flair that each of our personalizers has in their own individual style of handwriting.

I often take out my precious keepsake box filled with my journal, cards, love letters and poems written in the nicest penmanship to admire the memories. Typed pages just don’t evoke the same emotions!

January 23 is National Handwriting Day. Take the time to pen out a special note to a family member or friend and enjoy the personal touch that only your handwriting can convey.

What do you think about the loss of handwriting in school curriculums across the country? Is it a sign of the times or a disservice to our children and a future mistake?