[hanamizu]

“...they don’t teach “writing” either....or times tables.”

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I still sub at a school I retired from. I had a kid tell me he could read my writing on the board since it was in ‘cursive’. But he had an IEP so perhaps he was excused from learning cursive.

As for times tables, you can blame the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. They are responsible for nearly all of the hare-brained changes in the teaching of math. Their position is rote memorization is really really bad and stifles the mathematical creativity of the students. So kids get to the 8th grade not knowing any of the times tables. On a practical level this means that doing fractions without a calculator becomes nearly impossible. Back in the day, fractions were considered 5th grade level math.

[Steely Tom]

How do they feel about “rote memorization” of the alphabet?

[Sacajaweau]

I'm 79. We learned fractions in second grade...ye ole cutting the pie formula...

Hate to say it...but we had inkwells and steel pens.

[Betty Jane]

A friend’s 16 year old high school son had to rewrite a paper because his teacher couldn’t read cursive. He offered to teach her. She was not amused.

[Sacajaweau]

How many times have you used fractions in the last 50 years.....the measurements are right on the cup you use for baking.

The last time I made use of my times tables...well...never...