Posted on 02/27/2018 5:15:07 PM PST by Olog-hai
Children are struggling to use and pencils because the excessive use of touchscreen phones and iPads is damaging their dexterity, specialists have claimed.
Pediatric doctors, handwriting experts and orthopedic therapists are warning that although youngsters can swipe a screen, they no longer have the hand strength and agility to learn to write correctly when they start school.
Increasingly, the use of digital screens is replacing traditional skills such as drawing, painting and cutting out, which boost fine motor skills and coordination.
“Children coming into school are being given a pencil but are increasingly not be able to hold it because they don’t have the fundamental movement skills,” Sally Payne, the head pediatric occupational therapist at the Heart of England foundation NHS Trust, told The Guardian newspaper. “To be able to grip a pencil and move it, you need strong control of the fine muscles in your fingers. Children need lots of opportunity to develop those skills.”
A recent study in found that 58 percent of under-twos had used a tablet or mobile phone and many nurseries have installed interactive “smartboards”, digital cameras and touch-screen computers to try to expose children to gadgets at an early age. …
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
My cousin said the same thing about being able to read the founding fathers’ writings. Considering technology, I can understand why it’s not being taught. But not teaching multiplication tables?! That’s crazy. Too busy push propaganda instead of teaching math fundamentals.
Same here.
Remember it well....inkwell on desk and all. Remember practicing “running ovals” over and over? I think it was the Palmer method. I really don’t recall when we started them. We didn’t have kindergarten in those days but perhaps by 2nd grade we had penmanship lessons?
Our grandson has learned multiplication in 3rd grade far ahead of any tables we learned in the ‘40’s...I remember going to 12 (perhaps) but he’s gone beyond that. My daughter says they are also learning cursive which surprised the heck out of me. Maybe there’s hope for SOME school districts. I showed him his mother’s tests the other day with 100% on multiplication that I saved - he didn’t seem impressed - like what’s the big deal?
He doesn’t have any problem spitting out numbers when we’re playing board games - reads dice pretty good also - HA!
I told my kids & their friends while in high school to look into orthopedic medicine specializing in hand and neck, because of the pads and phones, and having a long, wealthy career.
Even 50 years ago, not everyone owned a typewriter.
And how do you sign anything, with a typewriter or a computer, or a cell phone?
And then there are all of the millennias worth of handwritten things, which those who never learn how to write in cursive, can't read.
Also, as I clearly stated earlier, there are parts of the brain which don't develop, unless one is taught how to write cursive.
You truly should refrain from bothering with topics you neither know about nor understand. ;^)
Remember that prior to those ovals, we all had to practice drawing all of those slant lines; row after row, after row, after row? It was all so boring, but paid off later!
We started cursive in third grade ( with pencils ) and proudly graduated to straight/dip pen in 4th grade. We were all so very proud and felt so grown up, when we could use ink!
I was taught penmanship in grade school. Thanks to my double jointed thumbs I still write like I’m in first grade.
Sorry.
I was taught the same.
Took typing in high school which translated well once PCs were mainstream. No one has known my deficiency for the past 30 years.
Except for someone trying read my grocery list.
Good for you. You adapted well.
The running ovals made sense but I never took to those slanted lines...but it certainly paid off as you say. It is a good feeling when people comment on our handwriting being so pretty...Something we took pride in.
Yes, all of that practice really did pay off in the long run! The vast majority of us, who were taught this way, have very legible, attractive penmanship. And yes, I still do take pride in my handwriting.
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