Slice Of Life Story Challenge: Day 5 - Another lost art?
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"Mrs. K...Mrs. K?"
I turned my attention from one of my students who was seated at the table with me, to the one standing next to me. He was holding a book, and pointing to a certain spot on a page.
"Will you tell me what this says?"
Now this particular student, a 3rd grader, happens to be a very good reader. This wasn't the first time that he had asked for help, though, when reading his much beloved Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and I knew exactly what the problem was: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books occasionally has letters or notes written by adult characters and given to children characters in the books, and the notes/letters are shown in the books in cursive writing. And my student, as good a reader as he is, can't read cursive writing. None of my elementary students can read cursive writing.
Cursive writing is no longer being taught in the schools. Technology has made it obsolete, some say. Students, as well as adults, type everything into devices. So who needs to know how to write in cursive? Nobody uses it any more. So why teach it?
They make a good point. If there is very little need to be able to read it or write it, do we really need cursive writing any more?
I myself am hoping that cursive writing is NOT going to become a lost art! Shouldn't future generations of our nation be able to read historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence, without a typed translation? Shouldn't kids be able to read letters from their grandparents? Do we really want that skill to disappear?
I certainly don't.
But I must admit, I've used the situation to my advantage before, more than once. When I've written a reminder note to myself, or I've written a note to another teacher, and I didn't want students to know what the notes said.... I wrote them in cursive.
Oh, the shame....
;-)
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JudyK March 5, 2018
I share in your lament! And yet I find myself not teaching cursive. You have me pondering the dilemma again, a sign of bringing up a good writing topic!
ReplyDeleteI also write notes to teachers in cursive, thinking the kids won't be able to read it. Imagine my dismay when they tell me exactly what the note says. :)
ReplyDeleteWe are still teaching cursive in our district, but not with the same attention it requires, in my opinion. When my now 18 year-old was in 2nd grade, that was the year students began learning cursive. Seems a little young to me - 3rd grade is better developmentally for the majority of kids. I agree with you - everyone should learn the art of cursive, as well as how to read it. Let’s hope it does not disappear.
ReplyDeleteI share so many of your thoughts about cursive. It's too bad that cursive writing isn't easily read by those who haven't learned it. People don't have the same trouble reading calligraphy, do they? You've got me thinking about solutions to this problem.
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