There is also the argument that cursive script tampers with learners ability to read and decode texts produced in other fonts. Is a child producing better work just because their letters join together? Its good for our minds! Oh, I dont do cursive, answered the undergraduate.. With computers emerging as the primary source for writing, many administrators feel teaching cursive writing is not necessary and believe the time would be better spent teaching keyboard skills. In the 21st century, teaching cursive writing is increasingly becoming more of the exception than the rule. Lucy Flower shares her tips for success, Councils are now looking to invest in technology but its not as simple as snapping up laptops, warns Michael Conlon, Investing the 100 billion earmarked for high-speed trains into education would provide genuine returns for the country, says Stephen Petty, This adventure story, about a girl who cuts a boy out of a whale, was a constant topic of conversation through breaks and lunchtimes, Annual event celebrating teachers worldwide will look at the impact of Covid-19 on education, When this teacher heard a student say they 'don't eat meals' it got him thinking about relationships with food. A cursive style is not mentioned. We should be making handwriting a priority with our children. therefore handwriting is a very essential skill. In a May 2016 article for Canadas TEACH magazine, Meagan Gillmore shared the story of Toronto French teacher Sylvia Chiang: Some students in her Grade 5 core French class couldnt understand the lessons. A 2014 article in Time magazine described a telephone call to a Tennessee state lawmaker from a mother who said she wanted to talk about her son, a junior in high school. It will further look at research based on pedagogical, neurological and social research on literacy and typing versus handwriting. Have you faced this issue? This link explores the brain and how it relates to cursive handwriting.Some important areas that are referenced include findings of changes occurring in the brains that allow a child to overcome motor challenges when children are exposed to cursive handwriting. Ultimately I decided that if they could not write cursive even to sign their names I would no longer assume they could read it. 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Most signed their letter with a printed signature. Thus, handwriting with pen and paper still has an important role from early childhood through our adult lives, but more and more, people are shifting from paper to electronic modes of communication. Teaching of manuscript lettering (not joined up) only began in the United States in the 1920s, to some controversy. My own state, Louisiana, after foregoing the teaching of cursive writing, has reversed course and now requires students to learn cursive starting in third grade. Cursive handwriting stimulates the brain in ways that typing cannot. All of that time-consuming feedback I offer on freshman English papers feature my somewhat sloppy script, learned in grade school. So I figured my poor penmanship might be one reason why some students fail to follow my suggestions. With preparations for GCSE and A-Level exams disrupted once more, how can we ensure dyslexic students are not disproportionately impacted both in class, and if they are being taught remotely? The latest (2020) study on the importance of cursive handwriting suggests that from an early age, children who are encouraged to augment time spent using a keyboard with writing It only takes a moment and you'll get access to more news, plus courses, jobs and teaching resources tailored to you, Lucy Moss is a deputy head in a Lancashire school. I decided to run a Twitter poll to gain just a snapshot of what other educators think. To conclude, it is pivotal that handwriting and cursive instruction remain in curriculums nationwide. This website and its content is subject to our Terms and at Northwestern State University, Image: poster of The Mystery of Handwriting, a Handbook of Graphology, 1896 / Archie Gunn, artist. Some parents have complained about this shift, too. That has worked well and was less time consuming than I anticipated. But is there a better way? Tes Global Ltd is Cursive has the added benefit of being both artistic and highly personal. But my experience, and it would seem, the experience of many other teachers, is that this is not the case for all children. Private schools should be seen as a 'life raft' for the arts, not an 'ivory tower', says new HMC chair, Research to look at learning gaps caused by lockdown and what teacher strategies work best to close them, Girls in pupil referral units are a minority in a minority we need to listen to their voices, says Jessica Southgate, Observing a more experienced teacher is a great opportunity to improve your own classroom practice. In a 2014 blog post for The Chronicle, Cursive Is an Endangered Species, Valerie Hotchkiss recounted a students request for help with a manuscript. Washington, D.C. 20037 Of course now that they have shown up in higher education and faculty like me are adjusting our expectations the stance on cursive seems to be shifting once again, as its defenders have argued in favor of requiring cursive to be taught in elementary schools. You see, I write in cursive. There is also the argument that cursive script tampers with learners ability to read and decode texts produced in other fonts. However, in the future I am considering referring students to Moodle (our online learning system) to read my comments attached to their files, or using the message function in Moodle. importance of good handwriting. Writing is in many ways becoming a lost art, with texts and emails often replacing pen pal letters. It just happened to be that persons style. By the 19th century cursive handwriting was considered a mark of good education and character. But that is how I prefer to write at work;it does not mean everyone should do it. But how important is it, really, for that handwriting to be cursive? I asked if it is important for handwriting in schools to be cursive: 16 per cent said yes, 9 per cent said learners should be able to choose whether to join or not, and75 per cent said it was more important for writing to just be neat and legible. But perhaps in our quest for perfection, for that approval following the book scrutiny, we have lost the ability to allow children to express themselves, find their personal style, and work around any fine motor issues to become confident, legible writers. On July 7, 2011, MSNBCs, Peter Jennings reported that, Illinois schools would no longer teach cursive handwriting and that it is now optional to teach cursive in forty-three other states (Jennings). As a teacher, Ive always tried to provide constructive praise and criticism on student work, influenced by articles like Recommendations for Writing Comments on Student Papers. But rereading that essay recently, it dawned on me that comments however substantive are meaningless if students cant read them. Whats the problem? I asked. The woman explained that her sons history teacher was writing homework assignments on the board in cursive and her son couldnt read them. The lawmaker found a similar pattern across the state. Of course I could also write all of my comments in print rather than cursive. London WC1R 4HQ. I relish the break from the computer screen. That was the moment I decided my handwriting might be more than just a stumbling block for a few students and might even be something that stood between students and success in my courses. As fewer schools emphasize the importance of learning to write in cursive, more students cannot read it, either. it is very important for everyone to have a good handwriting whether the person is a child or an adult. On occasion, students have asked me to clarify a word Ive written or even to read a whole passage. Stephanie Reese Masson is an instructor of English at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. By the 19th century cursive handwriting was considered a mark of good education and character. As fewer schools emphasize the importance of learning to write in cursive, more students cannot read it, either. While we agreed that it is essential for teachers to lead by example and write neatly and legibly in learners books, we disagreed on whether that should be in a certain style. For the first time, cursive fell entirely by the wayside. Square Some benefits of cursive handwriting are practical, such as the ability to read birthday cards from grandparents and great aunts. (Who doesnt want more brain connections, right?) The problem isnt limited to the United States. Reading, writing, and translating cursive is essential for anyone, not just exclusively students. In a 2014 blog post for The Chronicle, Cursive Is an Endangered Species, Valerie Hotchkiss recounted a students request for help with a manuscript. I assumed it was something along the lines of a medieval Latin text or perhaps even a particularly difficult Marcel Proust letter, she wrote, but when I bent over the letter to help, I saw that it was in English and in the very neat, clear hand of John Ruskin. S omething like modern cursive emerged from Renaissance Italy, perhaps partly because lifting a delicate quill off and on the paper was apt to damage it and spatter ink. This dissertation will look at the importance of handwriting, to support its continued teaching in the near future. It ran for only 48 hours and gained a modest 133 votes, but the result was overwhelming. Many are in their 20s and cant sign their names or read original historical documents, including letters from their grandparents. The importance of handwriting is stressed every day, cursive writing especially. I recently worked with a fantastic colleague who wrote neatly and legibly in students books but who did not, at any time, use the schools cursive style. This semester, after close consultation revealed that a few students could not read my comments on their first draft, I typed, printed, and stapled comments to major papers. 2020 The Chronicle of Higher Education, Recommendations for Writing Comments on Student Papers. Handwriting possesses a great educational value, as well as provides children with necessary skills for the rest of their life. The issue of whether students need to produce joined-up writing is a divisive one Lucy Moss takes a look at the debate. As a former Year 6 teacher, I always strived to expose my class to as many different types of text as possible mainly in preparation for the infamous reading test booklet, but also because I believe a more rounded reader is produced from picking up and perusing leaflets, online texts, reference books, newspapers, archaic texts, playscripts the list goes on. The debate promises to continue. My personal belief is that handwriting is an art form and something that should be enjoyed. She felt that all staff should use the school handwriting policy. Cursive writing has long been linked to economy of effort and therefore greater output. I must admit that students have always had a bit of trouble reading my comments. It wasnt a matter of learning her spoken words. Additionally, handwriting lessons help preserve a classic- cursive. While I grade online for the online-only courses I teach, I look forward to reading the paper versions of drafts and essays in my face-to-face classes. registered in England (Company No 02017289) with its registered office at 26 Red Lion Research suggests that printing letters and writing in cursive activate different parts of the brain. Even more troubling, on the final day of class, I gave a short assignment (suggested by Brian Croxall) in which students had to write a letter about the class to my future students. One of the benefits of cursive writing is that it helps create connections in the brain. Writing in cursive is a demanding activity for a childs brain. It would appear they are in agreement, then, with the assessment framework for Year 6, which requires children to write legibly, and at speed. It is important to take pride in our work and in the writing that we produce. Cursive writing has long been linked to economy of effort and therefore greater output. Cursive and Creativity. It took a while for this problem to sneak up on us at the college level. Rather, they couldnt decipher her written ones. Instructor I didnt feel this mattered as the children could read the comments. S omething like modern cursive emerged from Renaissance Italy, perhaps partly because lifting a delicate quill off and on the paper was apt to damage it and spatter ink. Cursive Handwriting Research. Cursive handwriting: do we really need to teach it? Handwriting is being described as a lost art, due to the introduction of technology in Americas school systems. The academic benefits are what reeled me in. Im sure, given time, my printing speed would increase. A CNN report in 2011 noted that, states don't require children to learn cursive writing anymore. But now Im starting to think the problem isnt simply my imprecise handwriting, but that some students cant read cursive at all. Some 46 states have adopted the Common Core Standards, a set of educational guidelines that do not require cursive writing as part of a school's curriculum. Those students who werent learning cursive in K-12 schools are now showing up on college campuses. Its a divisive issuethat can take up whole staff meetings and Inset sessions, and often commands its own official policy in school. Moving to electronic grading would allow me to type the comments, but I dont find that approach very appealing. 4 ways to help GCSE and A-level students with dyslexia, Private schools: Don't call young people snowflakes', Primaries to support 3 major Covid learning gap studies, How to make the most of a lesson observation, 6 essential tips for when every pupil gets a device, Let's scrap HS2, and spend the money on schools, World Teachers' Day focuses on Covid challenges, Food for thought: Why we need to talk about eating, GCSE and A-level exam delay decision 'in next 2 weeks', How to prevent a cold: the myths teachers need to know, 4 reasons we should keep year-group bubbles post Covid, 8 ways schools need help to survive the Covid 2nd wave, 3 reasons to let pupils turn desks into 'learning dens', Please, stop this squalid game of blaming teachers, Why early maths teaching should focus on play. She pointed out that I do this which is true. It improves the dynamic interplay of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, helps build neural pathways, and increases mental effectiveness. Chiang had been using cursive writing on the board.. What changes have you made as a result? To that pile of anecdotal evidence I would add my own: Of 28 students who turned in final exams in my English course last spring, not one of them wrote their essays in cursive. Conditions. handwriting is the most basic tool used for taking notes doing classwork , taking tests, doing homework for many other tasks. benefits of good handwriting ap. From this analysis it should Speaking to a colleague recently, we got on to the subject of teachers handwriting. But until this new shift back toward cursive makes its way to the college level, Im left with a dilemma: If students cant read cursive, and some struggle to read my handwriting, what is the best way to deliver feedback on their papers? 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