As the summer is winding down and thoughts of back to school is in the air, students are starting to prep for back to school. Summer reading lists are hopefully checked off and math packets are complete. But how many children practiced handwriting over the summer?
While the Common Core Standard no longer requires students to learn cursive, some educators are concerned of the impact this may have on our future. Check out this link from CNN regarding educator concerns
Many parents seek out handwriting instruction for their children outside of the classroom so that they can keep up with the written work load of the classroom. Most teachers report reducing handwriting instruction time due to needing to teach testing skills or computer skills. However, most tests including the PSSAs, PSAT, SAT, and ACT all have written portions, so teaching the fundamentals of handwriting is a basic necessity for success on these types of tests. While laptops on every desk in a college classroom may be the norm these days, in the 5th and 6th grade classroom this is not the case and our children are expected to take clear, legible, handwritten notes in the grade school classroom.
Handwriting is an acquired skilled. It needs to be taught. I feel that more research needs to be considered before handwriting is considered a lost art. Handwriting Without Tears is offering a free webinar about handwriting and how handwriting instructions supports the Common Core Standards and is a fundamental aspect of academic success.
No comments:
Post a Comment