School Age Question

[jocelinsmommy]

at what age did you learn to write cursive?

We pulled our daughter from a private school because public schools are really really bad around here due to alot of problems plus we are working on moving away from the area and I got all her homeschool books in (She's in 1st grade)---and they have ALLLLLL these books for 1st graders on cursive writing---and she's not even mastered her "normal" writing let alone going to master cursive and half her books have it to where they want her writing her answers in cursive. Anyone else think this is just bonkers?

[kscwgirl]

Mine is just now starting cursive in 3rd grade

[SeattleSheri]

It's becoming obsolete in some schools since our society is less inclined to hand write anything with technological advances. My son's 3rd grade curriculum does not include cursive.

[Kjersti]

End of 2nd beginning of third.

[rach3975]

Yes, cursive in 1st grade seems way too early. My 1st grader is still talking himself through writing the print letters ("magic c, line up, line down"). I think my older son's 3rd grade class is learning cursive this year. I remember doing cursive in 3rd grade, too.

[clearskies]

I think I learned it in 4th.

I guess I'm a bit odd these days, I almost always write in cursive...

[farrijc]

Originally Posted by Kjersti

End of 2nd beginning of third.

this.

[jacinda]

They don't teach cursive here anymore.

[Shawna Clingerman]

yeah the 3rd grade classes in our district have dropped cursive from the curriculum too

[mariewilcox]

Cheyanne started learning at the end of 2nd grade and all through 3rd grade.

[dana]

my oldest has just started Kindergarten, so I don't know how it is here - but it really bums me out that cursive is becoming obsolete/dropped from curriculum

[KateD]

They don't put much of an emphasis on cursive writing in the public schools here - my son is in 6th grade and some of his classmates never learned it. He knows some of the letters but not all of them and has a really hard time reading cursive.

Back when my kids were in preschool and I was thinking about homeschooling, I did find homeschool curriculums that taught kids to do cursive right away instead of (or in addition to) learning to print. I think it would be easier for them that way - kids at that age are such little sponges.

[nikkiARNGwife]

Avery goes to private school. They learned cursive in 1st grade and were given a letter grade for it.

I don't like that he gets a grade for it b/c it is the only subject he gets a B in, so it keeps him off the headmaster's list every 9 weeks. But I am glad that they are teaching it as early as they do. It really makes sense when you think about it. He doesn't write in print ever and now that he's in second grade his handwriting is really improving.

[Darcy Baldwin]

Cursive is required on the SAT, isn't it?

End of 2nd through 3rd is standard in public school, but there is a move to actually teach cursive first in some learning circles. For some kids, it's an easier method because there is less muscle movement to do cursive. Kids with dysgraphia actually can thrive with cursive. It may be this thinking that is found in the books you are using for your daughter.

[LJSDesigns]

Originally Posted by dana

my oldest has just started Kindergarten, so I don't know how it is here - but it really bums me out that cursive is becoming obsolete/dropped from curriculum

Bums me out too Dana. Generations of kids that can not read cursive? Boogles the mind.

[Stacey42]

I have one in 3rd & one in 4th and it seems around here that cursive is something they teach if they have the time in 3rd grade, which they don't have much of because they do SOL tests that year and they spend all their time teaching for it. So in 4th grade they get a little more instruction but it all seems very haphazard. My 4th grader can read cursive and can sign his name in it, sort of, be he doesn't seem to do much writing in it. My 3rd grader's printing is so atrocious I sort of wish they'd focus on the cursive because I think he might actually be better at it.

[deebirks]

I learned in 3rd grade, but it's being faded out in many schools. Its purpose is to look attractive, but on anything that we need attractive lettering, we use the computer, so many kids are only learning to print, which is faster and easier.

[mummytothree]

I don't remember for myself but my kids all learned in the second half of 2nd grade. But I'll let you know that it's really becoming a lost "art". The kids learn it but aren't required to use it past that initial "learning" stage. Both my 9th grader and 5th grader both print everything! And the majority of their classmates do too!! I have a boy right now in 2nd grade and he will learn it after December...but I have a feeling that once he gets past this grade he will also go back to printing.

[MamaBee]

That is a sore subject for me... grading your penmanship (this goes back to when I was in school and always got C's!) and not teaching cursive in schools... how can you have a "signature" if you don't? That is the same around here - they have pulled it from the public schools...

In a homeschooling conference last spring, one of the presenters mentioned that for some learning cursive is a lot easier, especially for boys... it's like a race car going around a track.

I was in 3rd grade when I learned cursive... I can still see myself at the desk.

[kelley]

A lot of schools don't even teach cursive now. I was in 3rd grade. I think it doesn't really matter what year you teach it as long as they've mastered printing first. I think first grade is ridiculous. We homeschool and I have used A Reason for Handwriting for all of my kiddos. They have print and cursive. I'd definitely grab a printing book for your daughter.

[ayaandjudah]

Wait, how on earth will they ever sign their names if they're not taught cursive????

[ayaandjudah]

Here our kids are still taught it but I don't know what grade. My daughter is in second and hasn't started yet.

[nikkiARNGwife]

I think it was much easier for DS to master in first grade rather than waiting til 3-4 when he would have been much more used to printing. Hearing that they are phasing it out of public schools just seems wrong. I still think it's an important skill. But of course they're just teaching the tests in most public schools these days so I guess handwriting gets nixed first since mostly the only writing they need to know on those tests is how to color in a circle.

[Lyd]

It was third grade for me as well. And, I'm also sad that they are starting to phase it out in the schools. I don't have any facts to back it up, but I really do think that there is something about the physical act of writing that helps your brain develop in certain areas. I think we're losing more than just pretty handwriting by taking some of this basic stuff away from our kids. I'm thinking I might make my kids write things in cursive once in a while after they've learned so that they don't get completely out of practice.

[MommaTrish]

My oldest is in third and they start next nine weeks. He is like soooo excited about it. It's all he's been talking about since he got back to school and heard they would learning it.

[DawnMarch]

My son learned last year in 3rd grade and they are now "perfecting" it in 4th grade -- they are required to write most of their assignments in cursive this year.

[SeattleSheri]

I think schools will rely on parents to teach it .... my oldest son taught himself last year (when he was in 2nd grade) with support from us.

[glumirk]

I learned in 3rd grade.

If they phase it out, I wonder how many years it will be before it becomes an archaic language. "Just go home and ask your grandmother. She had to learn 2 different ways of writing. Cursive was faster than printing, but now that we have computers there is no more need for cursive. If you want to learn it, take an archaeology class."

[CA Dreamer]

3rd Grade for us out here!

[deebirks]

Originally Posted by glumirk

I learned in 3rd grade.

If they phase it out, I wonder how many years it will be before it becomes an archaic language. "Just go home and ask your grandmother. She had to learn 2 different ways of writing. Cursive was faster than printing, but now that we have computers there is no more need for cursive. If you want to learn it, take an archaeology class."

Grandma could write in two fonts but we only have one installed.

[adrianka]

This is so interesting! In Slovakia we only learn cursive at school. The print one is supposed to be only used for printing. In elementary schoool we were actually not allowed to write in print, it was viewed as "not nice"! Fortunately later nobody cared and I developed my own print version of my handwriting at 14 or so, but it wasn't so common - but I have friends who did the same and made the switch at some point. But it's so cool that you learned to write both! It would be a pity if that was discontinued.

[xboxmom]

They don't really push the cursive here in our School district either. But they do throw a few work sheets out to them starting in the 3rd grade. I wish they would really focus on handwriting again my older kids handwriting looks like they are still in 1st grade and they are 9th and 11th graders. Sad.

[deebirks]

I just wondered: WHY does English (or languages with Latin letters) have print and cursive? Other languages, including notable biggies like Chinese and Hindi, do not. When you learn to write, you learn to make the letters you'll be expected to make throughout your life.

[tanyiadeskins]

I learned in second grade... they do not teach it in schools here anymore either, nor did they in VA

[origami]

My older child had an easier time of it as the school taught printing with an eye toward eventually writing in cursive. My younger child had a harder time with cursive as it really wasn't a priority at her school, but at the same time they were expected to use it in the upper elementary grades. That child needed some help with handwriting from an occupational therapist at the school, mostly for speed.

[d2vasquez]

Originally Posted by nikkiARNGwife

Avery goes to private school. They learned cursive in 1st grade and were given a letter grade for it.

I don't like that he gets a grade for it b/c it is the only subject he gets a B in, so it keeps him off the headmaster's list every 9 weeks. But I am glad that they are teaching it as early as they do. It really makes sense when you think about it. He doesn't write in print ever and now that he's in second grade his handwriting is really improving.

Wow letter grades in 1st grade? My girls go to a private school too and letter grades start in 6th grade. It is very stressful to all of us because of course, you want your child to excel and I often wish for the G, VG and S grades again.

Oh and my girls learned cursive at the end of 3rd grade.

[kim21673]

end of second/beginning on third grade here

Our district teaches D'nealian for manuscript so there is an easier transition to cursive.

[jessica31876]

they phased it out in schools here. I think it is bad too. I could read cursive in 1st grade but did not write until 3rd officially. I always went ahead of everyone to learn more though. Aggravated my teachers something awful LOL

[Sherri Tierney]

Here it is taught in 3rd grade. The teachers discussed it because it isn't officially required but all 4 of the 3rd grade teachers in our district think it is important. Our 4th and 5th grade teachers feel the same way and my daughter has had to continue using it in 4th and so far in 5th. There is a lot more emphasis on cursive this year on her daily seat work.

I find the fact that so many schools are phasing it out to be a disservice to our society. I feel cursive is very important. Sure, we can use computer fonts to write but what happens to the cursive fonts? Do we stop using them because no one can read them? Are our children incapable of reading the scrapbooks of our ancestors where notes were written in cursive? It is just ridiculous to think about.

Originally Posted by nikkiARNGwife

I think it was much easier for DS to master in first grade rather than waiting til 3-4 when he would have been much more used to printing. Hearing that they are phasing it out of public schools just seems wrong. I still think it's an important skill. But of course they're just teaching the tests in most public schools these days so I guess handwriting gets nixed first since mostly the only writing they need to know on those tests is how to color in a circle.

Unfortunately, teaching the test happens all too often. Our own district has had issues with this. The teachers openly admit to leaving out certain things because they have to teach the test. We are switching to common core instruction and will be reintegrating a lot of things that were previously left out. I'm excited about this change!