Thread: Cursive

Would we have our kids always appear in public looking like total scrubs? Well, maybe we would or maybe we have no choice sometimes. Still, our penmanship represents our character to others. If it looks like crap, so do we. Our parents and grandparents understood this well; that's why most of them had such a beautiful hand. Like anything worth keeping, good penmanship takes practice, determination and dedication to acquire.

The problem with our schools and with these kind of policies is one of focus. It's more important for the schools to get good marks in their assessments than it is for the students to be given a high quality education that prepares them for life (and teaches them why it's important to not look like crap when they represent themselves to others). Change the focus, change the results...

There are ways to encourage kids to develop good penmanship. Probably the best way is by example. What percentage of elementary teachers in our education system are in their early 20's? I'll wager that many (most) of them have poor cursive handwriting skills themselves. You can't teach someone else how to do something if you don't know it for yourself. So, given that many elementary teachers have poor penmanship, I say the answer is to bring in outside help. Calligraphers are incredibly inspirational to those learning how to form their letters and words. They inspire students and teachers alike. Our schools should require our teachers take handwriting repair coursework, so they can learn what they should be teaching.

Don't get me started on math and science...


Cheers,
Tom