(no subject)

[rmd]

[Poll #1340512]

poll inspired by this article in the globe about the death of cursive writing. NB: back in 2006, 85% of kids taking the SAT wrote in block letters.

Comments

[jim-p.livejournal.com]

On that last question: "What, no Clicky!?"

The problem I had with school penmanship is that I learned to do it "white-knuckle" style. When we had to do penmanship worksheets for grading, I was always the last to finish because I held my pencil in a death-grip and laboriously worked to make the letters look Just Like The Model. Nobody seemed to notice that I was doing this and that I wasn't developing any fluency... to this day it's work to write in cursive.

I really would *love* to learn to write in a fine Spencerian hand or somesuch, but I don't have the time to put into the necessary practice...

[firni.livejournal.com]

My son's teacher told me that part of his problem with block writing might have to do with the schools teaching it at a MUCH younger age than they used to (preschool, in some districts), they pick up bad habits and it sticks with them. He holds his pencil in his FIST to write, even in the 3rd grade. They gave him these little grippy things to put at the bottom of the pencil, showing him where to put his fingers, but I think it's going to take work to unlearn the bad habits.

The age thing is the only reason I can think of for him to be better at cursive than block, although the little grippy things probably help, too.