Kids and Cursive Writing?

[AmyM]

Do they still teach this in the schools where you live, and at what age? One of Kassi's friends was over the other day and asked her why she was doing that. This particular kid is in 5th grade and said they hadn't learned it yet. So I was wondering if 2nd grade was a bit too early to start on it. Guess it's too late for asking that now since the school year is almost out.....LOL... but I was just curious.

[Traci Reed]

We learned it in 3rd Grade.

[4noisyboys]

I know in my son's school (private school), they expected them to use cursive 100% of the time by 5th grade. He's a senior now, but I know that they still expect the same at the lower campus!

ETA: We learned it in 3rd grade as well when I was young, although I taught myself in 2nd and chose to use it all the time! Funny how I remember that!

[jessica31876]

I learned it in third grade but could read it in first. I had older siblings though who wrote in just cursive so I started catching on early.

I had a conference with my son who is in fifth grade and his teacher said they do not teach it anymore that the kids learn print only. She was teaching my sons class though to write cursive. She used a special type called cursive without tears I think? I asked my best friend and she said that none of her kids teachers taught her kids cursive. My daughter said they do not write in cursive and she is in 11th grade. I believe one of the main reasons for this at least in my state is they spend about half the year focused on the FCAT (sstandardized test for grades 2 and up) that they dont have time to focus on handwriting

[digideb]

The cirriculum I will be using for homeschooling, when we have kids, they learn in it K5! (kindergarten)

[rachaelsscraps]

They taught us at 4th or 5th grade... I can't remember exactly now, but I believe it was then...

but the schools here are strange! I was ambidextrious as a kid, but my teachers wouldn't let me write with my left hand! They made me use this wacky shaped pencil so I got out of the habit and only used my right hand! Strange but true!!! (And I mean ambidextrious- I could write or draw 2 separate things at the same exact time but I can't anymore!! I wish they didn't mess that up!!!)

[jessica31876]

they did this to my sister. Actually I think the teacher she had one year would tie her one hand behind her back so she could not use it so she would be forced to write with her right hand. She is still left handed though. My son is left-handed but he can use both hands for most everything but writing I think.

Originally Posted by rachaelsscraps

They taught us at 4th or 5th grade... I can't remember exactly now, but I believe it was then...

but the schools here are strange! I was ambidextrious as a kid, but my teachers wouldn't let me write with my left hand! They made me use this wacky shaped pencil so I got out of the habit and only used my right hand! Strange but true!!! (And I mean ambidextrious- I could write or draw 2 separate things at the same exact time but I can't anymore!! I wish they didn't mess that up!!!)

[CA Dreamer]

Hi
At our school(public), we start in 3rd grade. In the 4th grade, all kids must do all written work in cursive--I think this is a teacher requirement, not a school or district requirement.

I think that 2nd grade is a little early to start. Depends on the kid and how good their gross/fine motor skills are developed. For some who have good pencil grip and printing is easy, they are probably ready. For those who are still struggling with printing-or it strains their hands(kid complaining that their hands are tired, etc) just printing, they are probably not ready.... just my opinion

I have one of both! My little guy(5) has beautiful printing and wants to learn how to do cursive, but my older guy(10) struggles... although, his penmanship is wonderful and his printing is awful!!!

[rumkimom]

Most homeschool curriculums start teaching them in 2nd grade. I started my 5th grader on cursive in 3rd grade and will start my younger one this fall (3rd grade). I was told most school around here start it in 2nd grade. Neither of my girls were ready for it yet.

[newfiemountiewife]

We learned in 2nd grade, Benjamin is in 3rd, and hasn't learned it yet.

[Darcy Baldwin]

3rd grade is the most common time for kids to start learning cursive. There are schools of thought that teach it first (like Deb's). But many schools are opting out of teaching it altogether.

However, for children like my son, who have dysgraphia, cursive writing is actually easier for them than print. Cursive is definitely easier for C.

2nd grade isn't too early to start if your daughter loves to write and it isn't an issue for you. Some of the private schools here start in 2nd grade.

[Leila]

I learned cursive in fifth grade. Andrew learned it in fourth. JP's just now moved to all cursive all the time at the tail end of third grade.

Devin--he's teaching himself cursive by making copies of the workbooks I picked up for JP. He's in Kindergarten, and his cursive is much, much, much neater than his print. D doesn't have a firm dysgraphia diagnosis, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

[Kat Stokes]

I was just talking to a friend who is a teacher the other night about this. Here, they are REQUIRED to teach cursive in 3rd grade. However, after that it is totally up to the teacher's discretion if they want to continue teaching it or not. I guarantee you that if my kids' teachers don't continue it, I will at home.

[rachaelsscraps]

Originally Posted by jessica31876

they did this to my sister. Actually I think the teacher she had one year would tie her one hand behind her back so she could not use it so she would be forced to write with her right hand. She is still left handed though. My son is left-handed but he can use both hands for most everything but writing I think.

Isn't that weird?! I wonder why they do that!!!!

[Darcy Baldwin]

Same reason my mom wouldn't allow my brother to be left handed, even though it was probably his inclination. She just wouldn't have it because it wasn't 'normal'. It caused so many problems later.

[jessica31876]

I am not sure...my son is left-handed mainly I think because he had an operation on a swollen lymph node that was under his right armpit. He walked around with his arm messed up for several months because of that. He was 21 months and I never noticed the preference for the left hand until after the operation. My sister was left-handed. My father-in-law and brother-in-law are also left-handed. I think older generations felt being lefthanded was weird/not normal.

Originally Posted by rachaelsscraps

Isn't that weird?! I wonder why they do that!!!!

[Amber1279]

Anthony's school teaches it in 4th grade ... the private school at our church requires EVERYTHING to be in cursive starting in Kindergarten!!

[kscwgirl]

I think 2nd grade? Not sure when/if they are teaching it now.

[cindyg]

My daughter had it last year in 2nd grade.

[mummytothree]

In our district they start in the last 9 weeks of 2nd grade and they complete it by Christmas of 3rd grade. By 5th grade they are required to use cursive 100% of the time. If they print it's marked wrong!

[mrichar383]

I teach 2nd grade and I do not introduce cursive until the end of the year. The remark about standardized tests was correct in a lot of ways. Things like handwriting and math facts (speed drills) are not tested on these tests so they are not emphasized as much.

[alien21xx]

I started to learn it in kindergarten. If by first grade, we didn't know how to write cursive, teachers would rap our hand with a stick or made us write lines. I also had writing classes up until I was in my sophomore year in high school.

On the other hand, my brother, who's only 2 years younger than me, learned it in 5th grade. It resulted in him having really bad cursive, and preferring to write in block letters. My little sister (12 years younger), doesn't know how to write in cursive at all. The schools she went to didn't teach it anymore.

[lovely1m]

We learned in 2nd grade and had to write that way through elementary school at least, I don't remember how long we had to continue that way.

[SmallMoments]

We used to teach it in 2nd grade, but it was at the end of the year and they forgot it by 3rd grade anyway. So we passed the torch to the 3rd grade teachers. ha ha.

[justanotherjen]

My oldest started learning at the very end of 2nd grade. They worked more on it in 3rd grade and she can write in cursive but her 3rd grade teacher doesn't require it. I'm assuming next year she will have to write everything in cursive.

I know the one neighbor kid was still struggling with cursive last year. I was helping him with the sidewalk chalk. He was 12/13 and in 7th grade and they had just started to learn it that year. At the time my 2nd grader could write better then he could and she hadn't even learned all the letters yet. He goes to the local public school, my kids go to a Catholic school. I'm guessing the PS don't have the time to do cursive when they are so busy prepping for all those tests the gov't requires.

[lizzyfizzy]

they start to teach it out here in 3rd grade.