Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Why Is Spencer Jack Learning To Write Right Handed?

Interesting incoming email from Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason.

Subject line: Learning cursive (writing)

Does FUD think that this is necessary? Third grader FNSJ has informed me that his school is now requiring all homework be turned in in "cursive" (the new lingo for 'writing.')

Seems backwards.

In forth grade will they learn how to chisel into stone?
______________________________

I thought I'd read somewhere sometime ago that teaching kids how to write what I think was called "longhand" when I learned to write is, apparently, now, not universally taught.

I Googled to see if my memory was correct regarding "longhand" meaning cursive to see there is a Wikipedia article on this important subject titled, appropriately, "Cursive".

The first paragraph of the Wikipedia Cursive article....

Cursive, also known as longhand, script, handwriting, looped writing, joined-up writing, joint writing, or running writing is any style of penmanship in which the symbols of the language are written in a conjoined and/or flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster. Formal cursive is generally joined, but casual cursive is a combination of joins and pen lifts. The writing style can be further divided as "looped", "italic", or "connected".

So, I remembered correctly that I learned "longhand" whilst a youngster in grade school.

In the Wikipedia article we also learn that a nationwide survey found that the majority of elementary school teachers lacked training in teaching cursive handwriting, with only 12 percent claiming to have taken a course to teach it.

In the Wikipedia article we also learn that some states have opted out of requiring schools to teach cursive handwriting. And that as of 2011 44 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards, standards which do not include teaching cursive handwriting. The individual states are debating whether or not to include teaching cursive handwriting in their state's standards.

I have no idea what the current standard is regarding teaching cursive handwriting in the state Spencer Jack lives in. I do know that Spencer Jack does not go to a public school, which may explain why his private school seems to be being a bit strident about this teaching cursive deal.

The main thing I learned from this incoming cursive email is that Spencer Jack writes right-handed. Spencer Jack is the eldest son of an eldest Jones son. For generations the eldest son of a Jones son is always left handed. This usually also applies to the eldest son of the eldest daughter of a Jones son.

Now, in Spencer Jack's case he is the eldest son of the second eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son of a Jones son, so, maybe that second eldest thing caused the right-handed loophole in Spencer Jack's case.

I remember being left-handed made learning cursive handwriting more difficult for me. Or so I thought at the time. My handwriting has always been a bit different from how it is supposed to look. In the modern era I use cursive handwriting so seldom that when I do the effort borders on being illegible.

There are multiple fonts that replicate cursive handwriting quite well. Maybe Spencer Jack can type his cursive longhand handwriting at home and fool his teachers.....

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