Ella practices her spelling homework by copying every word on the list in cursive.
“Isn’t it pretty?” she said last week, flaunting her work. “It’s important to know how to sign your name on checks.”
I had recently read an article about how most American schools were phasing out cursive writing instruction.
“Some people feel that learning cursive isn’t as important as it used to be,” I said.
“You better believe it’s important!” she exclaimed.
Ella’s nostalgic view of handwriting may soon make her an endangered species. Colorado is among the 45 states whose schools have adopted the Common Core State Standards, which has dropped formal cursive writing instruction from its curriculum in favor of topics it considers more relevant in today’s world. Like it or not, of the current crop of American children many may never learn the art of reading or writing in continuous, flowing script.
What does this mean?
According to the Common Core website (www.corestandards.org), it’s curriculum is designed to help children become “college and career ready” in literacy, math and sciences. It’s mission statement defends the standards as being “robust and relevant to the real world.”
The bottom line is our dependence on technology is leading us further away from the handwriting skills that have helped develop human communication for thousands of years. It’s still too early to tell if we’re committing a mistake.
Many in the education community tout the benefits of cursive writing instruction. Motor skill development, improving literacy and communication, and the ability to efficiently transfer one’s thoughts to paper make penmanship skills a vital component of intellectual growth.
The ubiquity of tablets and smartphones has magnified our need for technological mastery. Online banking and electronic signatures may eventually make signing one’s name superfluous. But my instincts tell me that texting, voice-activated word processing programs and sliding fingers on screens do more to hinder literacy than improve it. From thank-you cards to love notes to journaling, our ability to transfer thoughts to paper transcends practicality. It defines us.
Handwriting means more than simply words on a paper: It’s a testament to character, a window into a personality. Imagine if the Declaration of Independence or Anne Frank’s diary had been typed.
Mr. Sean Gorman, Ella’s school principal, acknowledges the dilemma facing educators today. He told me that his teachers are welcome to incorporate cursive handwriting into all facets of their lessons, providing they meet school curriculum standards.
Ella’s teacher, Mrs. Elaine Rankin, does the best with the time she has. She writes the “word of the day” in cursive every morning on the board, has her students write their spelling words and sign their names in cursive. At the very least, she wants her students to be able to read it.
But for Mrs. Rankin and many others, the challenge is daunting.
“If I could guarantee all my students got support at home, my job would be a lot easier,” she says.
If Ella starts a petition to keep teaching cursive in schools, I’ll sign it.
By hand.
What does this mean?
According to the Common Core website (www.corestandards.org), it’s curriculum is designed to help children become “college and career ready” in literacy, math and sciences. It’s mission statement defends the standards as being “robust and relevant to the real world.”
The bottom line is our dependence on technology is leading us further away from the handwriting skills that have helped develop human communication for thousands of years. It’s still too early to tell if we’re committing a mistake.
Many in the education community tout the benefits of cursive writing instruction. Motor skill development, improving literacy and communication, and the ability to efficiently transfer one’s thoughts to paper make penmanship skills a vital component of intellectual growth.
The ubiquity of tablets and smartphones has magnified our need for technological mastery. Online banking and electronic signatures may eventually make signing one’s name superfluous. But my instincts tell me that texting, voice-activated word processing programs and sliding fingers on screens do more to hinder literacy than improve it. From thank-you cards to love notes to journaling, our ability to transfer thoughts to paper transcends practicality. It defines us.
Handwriting means more than simply words on a paper: It’s a testament to character, a window into a personality. Imagine if the Declaration of Independence or Anne Frank’s diary had been typed.
Mr. Sean Gorman, Ella’s school principal, acknowledges the dilemma facing educators today. He told me that his teachers are welcome to incorporate cursive handwriting into all facets of their lessons, providing they meet school curriculum standards.
Ella’s teacher, Mrs. Elaine Rankin, does the best with the time she has. She writes the “word of the day” in cursive every morning on the board, has her students write their spelling words and sign their names in cursive. At the very least, she wants her students to be able to read it.
But for Mrs. Rankin and many others, the challenge is daunting.
“If I could guarantee all my students got support at home, my job would be a lot easier,” she says.
If Ella starts a petition to keep teaching cursive in schools, I’ll sign it.
By hand.
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