Cursive Writing
04-29-2018, 09:12 AM
#52
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,299
My son goes to a private school that teaches cursive before printing in first grade. The reasons are:
1) Writing cursive is more natural to the hand-eye coordination. Do this: put your arm straight out in front of you, fingers together. Try writing your name in the air in cursive, then in print. Which is easier? The cursive flows much more easily. The brain transfers this to the hand on paper.
2) Children rarely confuse letters in cursive, but often in print (b/d, h/n, g/q,) and often write letters backward when printing. It's pretty hard to write letters backward in cursive. In fact, it takes extra brain power, now that I think about it!
3) Notetaking is faster.
4) Despite techie devices, in certain situations pen and paper are appropriate where typing is distracting.
5) Children can read what older folks write. History is not lost in the handwriting.
6) The more skills a child has in his or her toolbox, the more self-confidence he or she will develop.
I would add: Children love to be able to write like a grown-up in that secret code of curly letters. When I was tutoring a Nigerian child in Baltimore, her grandmother (a former schoolteacher in Nigeria) insisted that I teach her cursive in first grade. She wanted her granddaughter to have every possible educational benefit. The girl was eager to learn and picked it up very fast. Her classmates were not being taught cursive in her public school, so she positively beamed that she knew something they didn't.
1) Writing cursive is more natural to the hand-eye coordination. Do this: put your arm straight out in front of you, fingers together. Try writing your name in the air in cursive, then in print. Which is easier? The cursive flows much more easily. The brain transfers this to the hand on paper.
2) Children rarely confuse letters in cursive, but often in print (b/d, h/n, g/q,) and often write letters backward when printing. It's pretty hard to write letters backward in cursive. In fact, it takes extra brain power, now that I think about it!
3) Notetaking is faster.
4) Despite techie devices, in certain situations pen and paper are appropriate where typing is distracting.
5) Children can read what older folks write. History is not lost in the handwriting.
6) The more skills a child has in his or her toolbox, the more self-confidence he or she will develop.
I would add: Children love to be able to write like a grown-up in that secret code of curly letters. When I was tutoring a Nigerian child in Baltimore, her grandmother (a former schoolteacher in Nigeria) insisted that I teach her cursive in first grade. She wanted her granddaughter to have every possible educational benefit. The girl was eager to learn and picked it up very fast. Her classmates were not being taught cursive in her public school, so she positively beamed that she knew something they didn't.
Last edited by zozee; 04-29-2018 at 09:15 AM.
04-29-2018, 12:46 PM
#53
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NE of Fort Worth
Posts: 2,456
I saw this too. What a great, great idea! I tell people "One day cursive will be a secret code." It is sad. I pray it does come back in more schools... I can hear them now--- "It's too hard!" Duh... practice, practice, practice!!! It probably should be started in elementary...
04-29-2018, 03:08 PM
#54
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 3,255
I have only read page one of the comments. I am a 50+ year old university student and all my notes are printed. I have not used cursive writing in decades. Most my classmates print their notes too.
Yes, I know cursive, it was taught when I was in school. My kids (19, 21, 32) all know cursive, learned it in school.
I do not feel that lack of use of cursive is a sign of the end of civilized society, it is a change not for the better or worse, just a change.
Yes, I know cursive, it was taught when I was in school. My kids (19, 21, 32) all know cursive, learned it in school.
I do not feel that lack of use of cursive is a sign of the end of civilized society, it is a change not for the better or worse, just a change.
04-29-2018, 08:17 PM
#55
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
If they stop teaching cursive, children will not be able to read important historical documents,know their actual rights guaranteed by our constitution, nor with the have a handwriting to use for their own signature... makes them easier to steal from. “ Keep them dumb and malleable” -A Rothchild, can’t remember which.
They don’t teach it because it is not on any standardized test. That is all they teach in public school anymore. Sad but true.
They don’t teach it because it is not on any standardized test. That is all they teach in public school anymore. Sad but true.
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