Cursive Mandatory? So 1700s!
blog post from The Thinking Stick
A few weeks ago a Bill was introduced here in the State of Washington that would make teaching cursive writing mandatory in elementary schools. Not keyboarding….no in 2016 that should still be optional. But cursive writing…that should be mandatory in 2016. Below is the report from the local news station …...
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I love it. I taught cursive writing starting with third grade very successfully. Thank you.
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Linda W. •Both should be a focus.
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leslie c. •
The students need to learn how to read and wrire out of books not computers. Yes, they need to use computers at this date in time but their learning skills need to be done the old fashed way. to learn how to interact around others.
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Albert mn mckazamba M. •
Personally, I don't really see anything wrong to make cursive writing mandatory in elementary schools. The earlier, any good style of education that works is introduced to the elementary school children is the better.
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pamela w. •
I do agree...it is a privilege to have a language of this sort. I taught English in China and my students wished to see my handwriting. The reason came from a respect for the written word. There are oral cultures and they operate differently than the ones with a written language. Writing is a form of thinking about what is the subject of the same...a type of meditation.
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Edna Z. •
Debra T is absolutely correct. I agree to that . Cursive writing does still need to be taught in our schools because students have forgotten how to write words and not just abbreviations for words. Also, they don't know how to write only print, even our adults are having the same problem. I would like to add that also teachers forgot their role as educator.
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Patricia E. •
How about grammar. Can we be concerned about grammar or is that going by the wayside. I mean if we are texting/emailing everything we can simply abbreviate our language. Learning cursive is great for the motor skills. What will happen when they want to send a postcard or birthday card--they will print their name. Cursive is an "art form" in a way, much like calligraphy that was used in the past. Teaching them to type/use a computer is fine, but education is about encouraging students to be lifelong learners--therefore, being open to learning a lot of new skills, being exposed to the arts, culture. If they only learn what they NEED to exist, then a lot of the world will remain forever lost and/or unexplored. Further thought, although I think it is always appropriate to ask questions of our students, I am not sure that they should be "running the school" in that they lack the big picture knowledge of curriculum requirements. As an educator, I recognize the value of homework (practice/reinforcement, self-discipline, time management skill development, etc.). However, if I were to ask a student, I am sure they see homework in a different light, and would be all for doing away with it. Much like these students when asked about cursive. All students like "playing/working" on the computer--given a choice, goodbye cursive, hello to typing.
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DEBORAH T. •
I agree. Cursive writing does still need to be taught in our schools because students have forgotten how to write words and not just abbreviations for words. Also, they don't know how to write only print, even our adults are having the same problem.
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As a teacher, I knew how important it was to teach cursive writing, and it was a part of my daily program starting at grade three. I taught it well, and they learned it well. I was the only teacher that taught cursive writing in a couple of assigned Schools, wherein the upper grades did not know how, and were not being taught how to cursive write.
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Carol R. •
I learned printing, cursive , and keyboarding (also known as typing. They each have their place. Taking notes in class when you do not have access to a computer, or on the job where you may not have access to a computer means that you need to write quickly and legibly. We learned cursive because it was faster than printing. Eventually, the need for cursive may go away but we aren't their yet. Not learning cursive is handicapping our kids just as much as not learning keyboarding.
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Robert K. •
Aside from the beauty of it, it's important to remember that all of our historical records before 1870 or so are recorded solely in cursive. If kids do not learn to read and write it, we'll lose the ability to access these original records.
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Script or cursive writing is a most human form of written communication. . . I think I should like to preserve that beautiful style of thought exchange between one human being to anther, that it might be introduced and practiced by our youngest transmitters of messages. The experience should prove most humanizing.
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Michell P. •
Yes, keep it everywhere. My son learned back in the 3rd grade and actually liked it. It is a beautiful form of written communication besides the hand, brain and eye coordination it requires.
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@Samuel couldn't agree more. I see some of the handwriting of our youth and my heart aches for them. They all know how to type and how to get around a computer but ask them to write anything and they groan. I always hear the same refrain - "no one writes cursive anymore!" Totally scares me to think about what is going to happen in 20 yrs from now when those small children are adults living and working in our communities and they were raised with the "no child left behind", "common-core math" and not learning how to go past the basic "print" skills.
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Samuel P. •
One can never say what we will or not use in the real world. Technology is a wonderful tool, but if you do not have basic skills of writing, which involves utilizing the use of yor hands, fingers, eyes and brain, I fear we will let go much of our natural abilities because of a new product. Why not embrace all possible useful learning modalities and processes and continue to build skill sets for the future, wiothout taking away????
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Samuel P. •
I think it is a great idea to bring back the things that worked, period. Cursive writing is a start. There is a definate connection between writing and how we process our thoughts. At an early age children are exploring the world around them and as they grow older they need to be socialized into a community of learners. Handwriting is so far gone in the schools today and cosidered punishment in some respects, however educators know for a fact that students for most part have horrible hand writing skills.
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Elida Z. •
It's a good idea. My granddaughter is in 3rd grade and using it.
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Great!!!!!!
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