Just a thot — we homeschooled. I approached cursive in ‘3rd grade’ like I thought I should, but my perfectionist son was not capable of the coordination necessary to do it. I taught him to type instead.
What exactly IS the reason for cursive? Letters to Grandma? Signing your name? If it is communication, you can do that (and indeed, I do it quite a bit better) on a computer. He finally learned cursive when he was 14 or so. It took about 1/2 hour.
We loved homeschooling too. Great fruits. If you are at all considering it, DO IT.
Excellent point. That's what I love about homeschooling--the ability to break the mold, to ask why you should do something a certain way. Often times, most will respond with a "Because that's how I learned it in public school."
What exactly IS the reason for cursive? Letters to Grandma? Signing your name? If it is communication, you can do that (and indeed, I do it quite a bit better) on a computer. He finally learned cursive when he was 14 or so. It took about 1/2 hour.”
I like your approach here. While I am a strong advocate of classical approaches (I’m so-o-o-o tired of graduating students who can’t read, write, or do arithmetic, but are well endoctrinated into politically correct “sex education” decadence and political philosophy)I do think that technology has created a legitimate paradigm shift. We do need to ask what is the importance of handwriting. In the not so distant future we will all be texting from our pocket PCs. Therefore, we must embrace the essence of classical thought and education as technology changes the forms and structures of how that is communicated. To insist that Socratic method be recorded on papyrus scrolls totally misses the classical method. Bravo on your capturing the essence utilizing contemporary technology!