A friend forwarded this article to me about cursive writing. It is
disappearing from most state standards as we move into an age when computer
keyboarding skills are much more valued. Still, some people think that
cursive writing helps with brain development. It is almost like a foreign
language - without it we couldn't read the Declaration of Independence! My
second grade students are excited to learn it, but there are so many pressures
to prioritize and maximize instruction time that I can see why cursive would be
sidelined. What do you think?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323644904578272151551627948.html
Beth
I think there are brain developments that go with the writing process--the muscle motor control that students achieve by actually writing things. As far as cursive goes, I think it is a good skill to always have--since it is important, I believe, for students--until they are at a certain level--to hand write drafts before they type them. Most students in 7th grade English, for instance, think that once they type something, it's DONE--don't have to check it, look at it, revise it, etc. They also don't know how to organize thoughts on the keyboard, since their keyboarding and typing skills are low. So they need that extra writing practice. I think it is really important. And I think there should be room for it in the curriculum!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a good post!
Ann
Interesting topic...teaching junior high I don't think about this topic very often. However, I had a parent come to me at conferences and he was concerned because his daughter had to sign a check (or a document) and she printed her name and didnt use cursive. He was concerned that the document wouldn't be accepted. It then prompted a discussion about how cursive is taught less and less in the elementary grades :)
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