Posted on 08/20/2006 3:45:13 PM PDT by AVNevis
My little brother is starting the forth grade. His teacher is making all of the students write in cursive. This is a problem for him since he hasn't recieved much instruction in it so far and even his printing is kind of messy.
But my question is why? Why are we making kids write all of their classwork in cursive? The last time I used that skill was in the fifth grade when I was learning cursive. Except for a few rare occasions, I haven't used it since.
I can understand teaching it a little bit so you can read cursive writing and develop a signature. But make the kids write everything in cursive? Isn't that a little much for a skill they will only rarely use? They may as well learn Old English.
I think I would much rather have them practive typing and printing neatly, which they will use much more.
No one has been able to give me a good reason why cursive should be required. Am I missing something?
Suppose he's lost at sea and has to carve a message into a coconut. You want his rescuers to think him uncouth?
Of course all children must be taught cursive.
Just as we teach all children how to sharpen the plow, talk with the telephone operator, keep the woodstove hot and calculate with the slide rule.
Okay, sarcasm aside, cursive is an archaic skill. A holdover, a throw-back. Better off to spend a few weeks helping each child master a cool signature of their own, then move on. That's about the only justification we're hearing, that and speed. And if it's really about speed, why not teach them shorthand instead of cursive? It's faster.
Wound up making $50,000 a year for several years....How??...Drafting.
If it's not a "bad thing", there is no need to correct someone.
The only thing I like to do in cursive is "friendly letters". It give it that personal touch.
I give up!!!
Why teach kids to read, since books are now on tape, and road signs are on their GPS.
Why teach kids to read an anologe clock, since all clocks today are digital.
Why teach kids to make change, since the cash registers do it for them.
Why teach kids to spell, since spell checkers are here.
Why teach kids to add, since calculators are in every kids back pocket.
Why use question marks in computer forume, since everyone has the same questions.
Oh, I forgot, does anybody know how to manually find a square root (no calculators, now, manually!!!) I racked my brain and remembered it from 40 years ago.
LOL
Same here :)
Plenty of reasons- some more useful than others.
Here's why I think it's an important skill. It increases a child's ability to focus, pay attention to detail, and imposes some self-discipline.
There's not much in today's curriculum that really forces those qualities on children's minds...
Agreed. Good handwriting will probably always be valuable in life.
I'm trying to remember the last "cursive" book I read.
I disagree. There are times I struggle to remember the last time I had to put pen to paper and write something. Sometimes it can number in months.
Same here.
yeah...
I can't tell you how hard it actually was for me to actually write legibly in some of my classes this past year in college....
Thankfully I haven't had to write much :)
Good penmanship increases fine motor skills and required discipline. Two things kids need.
I'm the king of the 6 humped Z.
You've not written a check?
Filled out a form?
Written down a phone number or address on the road? Are we never away from a keyboard?
I think we write and have to read handwriting more than we realize.
If no one needs to write anything any more, why do we all have sticky note pads on our desks?
Well in part it will help him develop his small muscle control.
And being able to write neatly is a useful skill.
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