Why Can't We Write?
By patgalca
@patgalca (18481)
Orangeville, Ontario
February 19, 2016 11:10pm CST
Are teachers really discouraging kids from learning cursive writing? I don't understand why. Like, is there any reasoning whatsoever? I see all these posts about it and I don't understand.
Tonight, my daughter's boyfriend came in with his homework. He was complaining because he thought it was nice and neat but my daughter was insisting she type it to make it neater. He showed it to me and I said that I thought it was nicely printed. He says that's all he does. I said, "Seriously? You don't know how to hand write cursive?" Nope. 23 year old doesn't know how to write. I asked if he could sign his name and he showed me his so-called signature... just a scribble of his initials.
I looked at my daughter. "You know how to write, don't you?" She acknowledged that she most certainly does. And I've seen her sign her name.
I know we have technology for typing and printing and all that, but why DISCOURAGE handwriting? Or is it for a totally different reason? Is it because so many people have messy, unreadable handwriting? If that's the case then the teacher isn't doing a very good job of teaching it.
7 people like this
8 responses
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
22 Feb 16
If your daughter' boyfriend (I did realize that as I typed the wrong thing
) is 23 I am pretty sure he was taught cursive writing in school. I was methodically taught cursive writing of course since I am in my 60s. I always had terrible terrible printing and writing.
As for his homework now, my university professor back in the 70s expected assignments to be typed.
Anyway it is being taken out of the curriculum some places. Every time we add something to the curriculum something else has to have less time spent on it or be removed from the curriculum. We have added so much technological objectives to the curriculum and that time has to come from somewhere.
I do see that it is still being taught when I am substitute teaching.
) is 23 I am pretty sure he was taught cursive writing in school. I was methodically taught cursive writing of course since I am in my 60s. I always had terrible terrible printing and writing.
As for his homework now, my university professor back in the 70s expected assignments to be typed.
Anyway it is being taken out of the curriculum some places. Every time we add something to the curriculum something else has to have less time spent on it or be removed from the curriculum. We have added so much technological objectives to the curriculum and that time has to come from somewhere.
I do see that it is still being taught when I am substitute teaching.2 people like this
@patgalca (18481)
• Orangeville, Ontario
22 Feb 16
First it is my daughter's boyfriend who will be 23 in June. Also, the classes he is taking is part of getting his certificate for H/VAC so it's technical jargon. It's a tradesman course not even considered college. He is required by union law to go to these classes. When I mentioned this to my younger daughter she responded with a shrug and said he had learning difficulties growing up. She also said there are some letters she doesn't know how to write in cursive (she is 19).
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18481)
• Orangeville, Ontario
20 Feb 16
But they don't always work, aren't always available, especially for poorer families. Then teachers will say, "Go to the library." That's not always possible either. The more I think about it the madder I get. Kids are not being taught the basics anymore... and they wonder why kids drops out of school. Math is too hard, what am I going to need that for? Who cares about history? Sure, they are important and people eventually learn why they need to know certain things, but the basics should not be thrown out the window. And the arts, the arts are so important to a child's development.
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
20 Feb 16
i think there is so much pressure to score high on tests that our educational system forgets about other valuable parts of education: ie. cursive writing, art, music, etc.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18481)
• Orangeville, Ontario
20 Feb 16
Definitely. They have taken so many of these programs out of the schools for financial reasons, but doing so does not benefit the children. Learning is more than just math and spelling. Interaction with others, learning to be a team player, learning a new instrument, etc. are all beneficial to an individual's well being. My kids wouldn't be the great young ladies they are if not for their sports activities, and most of that paid by ME outside of school.
1 person likes this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32760)
• Calgary, Alberta
24 Feb 16
Some schools dont use pen and notebooks anymore. they just use a single tablet for students. I also find it disturbing that most kids can only do printed hand writing.
