The only question about handwriting styles used to be “Palmer” or “Spincerian”. Today, the question is whether children should be taught cursive writing at all – and that is a sad commentary on our culture.

During the trial of George Zimmerman, one witness took the stand and famously testified that she could not read the letter that she said was sent by her but written by a friend. The reason she gave when cross-examined? “I can’t read cursive.” Have we descended that low? Has the cold, sterile printed word replaced the smooth flowing character of cursive? Will the next generation be incapable of reading anything that doesn’t appear on the screen of the latest digital gadget? If Common Core Curriculum is allowed to take root, then the answer will be “yes”. Cursive writing is nowhere to be found in that indoctrination system masked as education.

It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I “rediscovered” cursive writing. Coming from a technical background, printed characters were the standard. One of my early jobs out of college was designing material handling equipment for the textile industry. At that time, drawings were done on paper, using a T-square, pencil, and drafting instruments. In college, we were taught exactly how to print in the Drafting classes, and that’s how it was done on the job.

The text on technical drawings was always printed in a very standardized style. Now, however, I try to use cursive writing whenever possible, and almost always with a fountain pen. I started by paying close attention to my signature, and then using that same care in notes and letters. Since I now make my living writing software, there is little room for cursive other than making notes to myself, but I still use it whenever I can.

Among the collection of home schooling books that we have for our grandchildren is the Spencerian Penmanship book.

Today’s post at Art of Manliness is titled “Ace Your Exams: Study Habits of The Gentleman Scholar“. Let me quickly point out that one does not have to be a full time high school or college student to benefit from this post – it applies to anyone with the natural curiosity and hunger for life-long learning that is a mark of the Southern gentleman. In my own case, I know that I need to put more effort into studying God’s word. I have made a number of attempts to seriously study The Bible, yet I never seem to gain traction – I end up wasting time, wandering off on other topics, and just never studying The Bible as I know that I should. The same thing applies to my need to stay up to date with the latest technology and trends in programming languages – my business depends on it, yet it is so easy to get bogged down in the details of running a business that I can quickly lose sight of the long term needs. In other words, I need to learn better study habits. I suspect that you do, too.

Here are the key points from the AOM post. Be sure to read the entire post and become a better Southern gentleman scholar.

• Time & Energy Management
• Reading Assignments and Homework
• Make the Most of Class Time
• Getting Extra Help
• Create an Outline or Study Guide
• Memorizing
• Self-Testing: The Master Key to Academic Success
• Study Groups
• Great Resources on Improving Your Study Skills