Why Aren't Kids Being Taught Cursive in School Anymore?
To me, there is a certain beauty in a handwritten document. There is a certain romanticism in a letter, and power in the ability to read historical documents such as the Constitution, or simply being able to sign your name. I happen to believe that good penmanship helps to teach kids discipline and to take pride in something. It also helps develop the fine motor skills children will need for other tasks in life.
In my conversations with parents regarding whether they think it's important to teach cursive in our schools, many are shocked to learn that their children will most likely not be taught this lost art. The majority of them have agreed that this is unacceptable.
I took a poll on Facebook and asked parents what they thought and the results were overwhelming in support of teaching children cursive. There is a difference between what is known as a "signature" and printing your name. One parent commented,
I just got my daughter, at age 14, a debit card to teach her all about banking. She is so embarrassed when she has to sign her name because it looks like a 4 yr old signed. She says she feels so stupid! I bought her a third grade cursive book and a white board with the lines ( dotted lines too) so she can learn. We think it shows ignorance. She feels the same way.
If so many parents feel that good penmanship and learning cursive are important to a person's development, why are our schools doing away with it? Hillsdale College did an online course entitled, "A Proper Understanding of K-12 Education: Theory and Practice" which featured associate professor of education Daniel Why Aren't Kids Being Taught Cursive in School Anymore? | PJ Media:
