Results 1 to 21 of 21

Thread: No more teaching handwriting?

  1. #1
    God/dess papillonluvr's Avatar
    Joined
    Feb 2006
    Location
    japan
    Posts
    3,724
    Thanks
    315
    Thanked 1,186 Times in 703 Posts
    My Mood
    Goofy

    Default No more teaching handwriting?

    Ok, so I have a degree in teaching english and esl. I was taught to teach all sorts of skills. Now, I read in newspaper based out of Denver, that apparently handwriting skills, espcially Cursive, are no longer really being taught.

    Reasoning being, that typing and computer skills are more important, since people rarely write by hand now anyways. One of my relatives actually endorses this viewpoint and believes handwriting is going the way of Latin, and will one day be learned by people because it's "quaint and ancient, out-of-style".

    Idk about anyone else, but I write by hand several times a day. Cursive too. Shit like this makes me want to homeschool even more. Don't get me wrong, I believe typing and computer skills are VERY important, but handwriting is too!

    http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_17710389
    Last edited by papillonluvr; 03-29-2011 at 09:25 AM. Reason: added link
    "You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories -Stainslaw J. Lec

    Confuscius say: "Man who pull bra stap get bust in face"


  2. #2
    Featured Member lemiwinks31's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    1,338
    Thanks
    247
    Thanked 1,580 Times in 667 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    I havent written cursive in so long...i'm pretty i would be a mess.....

    ...OK i just tried to write something.....illegible. Anytime i write something by hand....its always very informal.....just a little note...so I just print it....anything important that i am going to write is going to be typed.

    My daughter is in her early teens.....she is writing less and less, just about all her schoolwork is typed... my son is younger and he still writes most of it....but its horrible. He is looking forward to why he has to type everything.

    There is really no reason not to type, wide access, 100% legible, quicker. Yeah..I see no reason to learn cursive except for maybe artistic reasons..(your analogy to latin is a good one)

    Maybe it could be an elective....because you dont really need it.

  3. #3
    Banned
    Joined
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    11,037
    Thanks
    1,891
    Thanked 5,124 Times in 3,086 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    I think kids should still learn to write, but I am mixed on this. I have terrible handwriting and EVERYTHING is normally typed out because of it. As a kid I often got terrible handwriting grades because I had trouble writing neat. Ia always say that I can write with both hands but both hands write sloppy.

    Having said that yes there are times I need to write something, like for instance a check or even when I am somewhere and want to give my phone number or address. Granted, I have used credit cards instead of checks, and business cards instead of writing but you still need to know this.

  4. #4
    God/dess DesuvsDeath's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    4,016
    Thanks
    2,110
    Thanked 4,475 Times in 2,023 Posts
    My Mood
    Brooding

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    It's not like it really matters what they do in CO schools. The education system there is pathetic beyond all reason.
    Last edited by DesuvsDeath; 04-04-2011 at 09:05 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by camille27 View Post
    i am losing my fucking mind and i really just want this chloroform dream because i think that would just get me right with jesus.

  5. #5
    Featured Member lemiwinks31's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    1,338
    Thanks
    247
    Thanked 1,580 Times in 667 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by DesuvsDeath View Post
    It's not like it really matters what they do in CO schools. The education system there is pathetic beyond all reason.

    That aside... hand writing should be taught... if not cursive... at least basic skills. We're not at a point where 100% of everything is typed. Until we are... being able to write well enough for other's to read it can be an important skill.

    I think she is specifically talking about cursive......they still learn how to write starting in kindergarten.....and they dont start typing alot of their shit until jr. high....so they have a good 6-7 years of writing by hand....just not really much cursive anymore.

  6. #6
    Featured Member MarvelGirl's Avatar
    Joined
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Reality
    Posts
    1,351
    Thanks
    1,063
    Thanked 2,391 Times in 643 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Considering that my son used to go to school with fourth graders who were born in the U.S. but can barely speak English, public schools have bigger things to worry about than teaching handwriting.

    Homeschooling or private schools are the way to go if you care about your kid's education. The public schools are struggling to teach kids with no parental involvement how to read and do basic math. It's sad but when you have 30+ kids in a classroom and half of them are reading several levels below their grade and can't add double digit numbers, you need to focus on that. Teaching kids to write pretty when they can't write in the first place is kind of silly.

    Just wanted to add, handwriting IS cursive. It doesn't have anything to do with learning the alphabet or what letters look like printed. It is a class solely dedicated to teaching children how to write in cursive so that it looks pretty.

  7. #7
    God/dess papillonluvr's Avatar
    Joined
    Feb 2006
    Location
    japan
    Posts
    3,724
    Thanks
    315
    Thanked 1,186 Times in 703 Posts
    My Mood
    Goofy

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Not just cursive, but some schools are leaning towards getting rid of even printing. Which is crazy, especially since not everyone, and a good majority of people on this planet, don't have access to technology and therefore need to handwrite. Even just a note. It's hard for me to imagine a world where people can't write by hand any longer.
    "You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories -Stainslaw J. Lec

    Confuscius say: "Man who pull bra stap get bust in face"


  8. #8
    Featured Member lemiwinks31's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    1,338
    Thanks
    247
    Thanked 1,580 Times in 667 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by MarvelGirl View Post
    Considering that my son used to go to school with fourth graders who were born in the U.S. but can barely speak English, public schools have bigger things to worry about than teaching handwriting.

    SOME public schools are having those issues......In our area..and many others....the public schools have so many more resources, that private schools and home schooling cant compare. In many other areas...you wouldnt dream of sending your kid to a public school if you wanted a quality education......and many areas are inbetween....

    it depends on the area.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to lemiwinks31 For This Useful Post:


  10. #9
    Featured Member lemiwinks31's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    1,338
    Thanks
    247
    Thanked 1,580 Times in 667 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by papillonluvr View Post
    Not just cursive, but some schools are leaning towards getting rid of even printing. Which is crazy, especially since not everyone, and a good majority of people on this planet, don't have access to technology and therefore need to handwrite. Even just a note. It's hard for me to imagine a world where people can't write by hand any longer.

    i find that hard to believe about the printing....how can you avoid it....do you have a class full of 5 yr olds tapping away on their PCs to answer the teachers questions?

  11. #10
    God/dess
    Joined
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    6,947
    Thanks
    2,845
    Thanked 5,526 Times in 3,113 Posts
    My Mood
    Angelic

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    What passes for education now is totally worthless.

  12. #11
    Featured Member lemiwinks31's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    1,338
    Thanks
    247
    Thanked 1,580 Times in 667 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by MarvelGirl View Post

    Just wanted to add, handwriting IS cursive. It doesn't have anything to do with learning the alphabet or what letters look like printed. It is a class solely dedicated to teaching children how to write in cursive so that it looks pretty.
    I went to school quite a few years ago.....we learned cursive....wrote out all our papers and stories etc in cursive......



    mine was never going to be pretty.

  13. #12
    Featured Member lemiwinks31's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    1,338
    Thanks
    247
    Thanked 1,580 Times in 667 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by slowpoke View Post
    What passes for education now is totally worthless.
    It depends.....on where you are...at our public school....over 90% are reading above grade level, and 95% score higher than the national average in math.....my 8th grade daughter is taking 2nd year high school courses at her Jr high and took the SAT as a 7th grader and scored well(along with about 20 of her classmates)....our old baby sitter accross the street is in her freshman yr at Princeton, because she didnt want to follow her brother to Harvard.......

    Like i said......it depends on the school, depends on the area........

    I know there public schools that are doing terrible job of educating.........It would be stupid for me to say that schools are doing a fantastic job of educating our kids....because there are alot that arent.....


    but there are alot that are.

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to lemiwinks31 For This Useful Post:


  15. #13
    Banned
    Joined
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    958
    Thanks
    170
    Thanked 457 Times in 225 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    I think handwriting should be taught, but I also think they put too much emphasis on it.

    I feel like I wasted so much time as a kid being forced to go over and over basics and was never given enough time to really learn anything advanced and/or interesting.

    I got bored.

    I dropped out, got home schooled for a cpl years. Never did college.

    I own my own business now and employ others. I don't ever need to handwrite or do arithmetic, but I wish I would have learned to do PLENTY of other things.

  16. #14
    Featured Member kandie_kitten's Avatar
    Joined
    May 2005
    Posts
    1,944
    Thanks
    164
    Thanked 498 Times in 218 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    *shrug* most people can't handwrite anyway.

    I went to Catholic school where handwriting is literally beaten into you, and at my best, I got maybe a "C" in cursive, and was always told I was sloppy.

    Now as an adult, whenever I write anything, people tell me how beautiful my handwriting is, because so few can handwrite at all.

  17. #15
    Featured Member MarvelGirl's Avatar
    Joined
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Reality
    Posts
    1,351
    Thanks
    1,063
    Thanked 2,391 Times in 643 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by lemiwinks31 View Post
    SOME public schools are having those issues......In our area..and many others....the public schools have so many more resources, that private schools and home schooling cant compare. In many other areas...you wouldnt dream of sending your kid to a public school if you wanted a quality education......and many areas are inbetween....

    it depends on the area.
    I really doubt that awesome public schools with great resources are the ones cutting handwriting. I really doubt that.

  18. #16
    Featured Member MarvelGirl's Avatar
    Joined
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Reality
    Posts
    1,351
    Thanks
    1,063
    Thanked 2,391 Times in 643 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by papillonluvr View Post
    Not just cursive, but some schools are leaning towards getting rid of even printing. Which is crazy, especially since not everyone, and a good majority of people on this planet, don't have access to technology and therefore need to handwrite. Even just a note. It's hard for me to imagine a world where people can't write by hand any longer.
    Teaching printing is a huge part of teaching the alphabet. I've never heard of a school that didn't teach kids how to print letters and I'm not going to believe that kind of nonsense without some proof.

  19. #17
    God/dess papillonluvr's Avatar
    Joined
    Feb 2006
    Location
    japan
    Posts
    3,724
    Thanks
    315
    Thanked 1,186 Times in 703 Posts
    My Mood
    Goofy

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    ^^ Its in the article. States that they are de-emphasizing handwriting, and nearly cutting cursive in favor of typing. My cousin out in Palo Alto is the one is saying get rid of handwriting entirely, and is petitioning his kids' school to do so. Im sure you could do a google search on the topic as well, like I did, if you would like more proof of it. Or talk to current employed teachers, etc.

    Im just concerned. I dislike hearing about things like this, and it does make me afraid for my daughter's education. I think parents and other people should really take more interest in what children are being taught, or not taught, as the case may be like here. After all, they are going to be running the world or more one day too.
    "You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories -Stainslaw J. Lec

    Confuscius say: "Man who pull bra stap get bust in face"


  20. #18
    Featured Member MarvelGirl's Avatar
    Joined
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Reality
    Posts
    1,351
    Thanks
    1,063
    Thanked 2,391 Times in 643 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    No, it's not in the article. They replaced cursive with typing. They have not stopped teaching children what letters are and how to write them.

    I think you're just trying to distort the facts to make the story sound more outrageous. Once upon a time, it was acceptable for a person to submit a handwritten resume or business correspondence. Those days are gone.

    If it really bothers you then take some responsibility for your daughter's education. I've already taken responsibility for my son's education by hiring a private tutor and homeschooling him so please spare me the lecture about parental involvement and how children are our future. It doesn't anger me but it did make me roll my eyes so hard that it stung a bit, so thanks.

  21. #19
    Featured Member
    Joined
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    1,255
    Thanks
    122
    Thanked 467 Times in 250 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by papillonluvr View Post
    Ok, so I have a degree in teaching english and esl. I was taught to teach all sorts of skills. Now, I read in newspaper based out of Denver, that apparently handwriting skills, espcially Cursive, are no longer really be taught.
    tehehe

  22. #20
    Featured Member
    Joined
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    1,030
    Thanks
    21
    Thanked 117 Times in 78 Posts

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Ehh... I remember the time that was put into cursive when I was in school. By 5th or 6th grade we didn't really use it. Now for me that wasn't a big deal, but in some places where the kids can hardly read or subtract... Should they really be putting much focus on making fancy letters?

    Typing though has killed my handwriting, when I was little I won a few awards for penmanship now I have trouble reading my own. Kinda sad.

  23. #21
    God/dess papillonluvr's Avatar
    Joined
    Feb 2006
    Location
    japan
    Posts
    3,724
    Thanks
    315
    Thanked 1,186 Times in 703 Posts
    My Mood
    Goofy

    Default Re: No more teaching handwriting?

    Quote Originally Posted by papillonluvr View Post
    ^^ Its in the article. States that they are de-emphasizing handwriting, and nearly cutting cursive in favor of typing.
    I never said they are not teaching letters and literacy. If you inferred that from my posts, I apologize for not being clearer.
    "You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories -Stainslaw J. Lec

    Confuscius say: "Man who pull bra stap get bust in face"


Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 4
    Last Post: 12-09-2008, 08:47 PM
  2. teaching... sucks.
    By tampadancer in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 12-11-2007, 09:16 PM
  3. Handwriting
    By LuckyOne in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 12-11-2007, 08:14 PM
  4. teaching
    By cheetahchick in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 02-23-2007, 04:30 PM
  5. Are you interested in teaching?
    By fclo001 in forum Hustle Hut
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 08-16-2004, 06:52 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •