Recognizing the diversity of educator opinions on this issue, EducationWorld provides commentary on the decline of student handwriting , as well as resources on teaching handwriting.
The debate is not going away anytime soon, however. Even EdWorld staff are sharply divided on the issue. Consider these choice quotes from a recent "battle" in our newly launched professional online network, the EdWorld Community:. There certainly are artistic arguments to be made for pretty handwriting, but it just isn't practical any more.
Teach the letters and numbers, but do it in a way that kids will be using them in life. That means keyboards, not triple-lined paper. It's more than just legible words on a paper -- handwriting is a fine motor skill that benefits kids' minds and their ability to handle tasks that require a well-trained hand -- like eating properly with a fork, typing, fastening buttons on their clothing, etc.
All real communication now happens electronically. It's ridiculous that schools neglect teaching electronic data entry when that's what kids will need in the real world. How do you feel about the future of handwriting instruction in the classroom?
Leave this field blank. Search Search. Newsletter Sign Up. Search form Search. Consider these choice quotes from a recent "battle" in our newly launched professional online network, the EdWorld Community: "Paper as a medium is dying. Trending Report Card Comments It's report card time and you face the prospect of writing constructive, insightful, and original comments on a couple dozen report cards or more.
Here are positive report card comments for you to use and adapt! Struggling Students? You've reached the end of another grading period, and what could be more daunting than the task of composing insightful, original, and unique comments about every child in your class?
The following positive statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their strengths. You can also use our statements to indicate a need for improvement. Turn the words around a bit, and you will transform each into a goal for a child to work toward.
Sam cooperates consistently with others becomes Sam needs to cooperate more consistently with others, and Sally uses vivid language in writing may instead read With practice, Sally will learn to use vivid language in her writing. Make Jan seeks new challenges into a request for parental support by changing it to read Please encourage Jan to seek new challenges.
Whether you are tweaking statements from this page or creating original ones, check out our Report Card Thesaurus [see bottom of the page] that contains a list of appropriate adjectives and adverbs. There you will find the right words to keep your comments fresh and accurate. We have organized our report card comments by category. Read the entire list or click one of the category links below to jump to that list.
Behavior The student: cooperates consistently with the teacher and other students. Character The student: shows respect for teachers and peers. Group Work The student: offers constructive suggestions to peers to enhance their work. There are four main aspects of handwriting instruction: pencil grasp, formation, legibility, and pacing.
Pencil grasp: When it comes to how a child holds a pencil, there are correct and incorrect grasps. The correct grasps—in which the index finger and thumb hold the pencil against the middle finger—result in comfortable and efficient handwriting, while incorrect grasps can cause poor letter formation and fatigue. A student with a poor pencil grasp may benefit from using tools such as a pencil grip or from wrapping a rubber band around the ring finger and pinkie—not too tightly!
Formation: This refers to how a student goes about forming letters. Handwriting and dictation activities are the cornerstone of any multisensory phonics instruction program, as requiring students to consistently practice forming the letters while connecting them to sounds will serve to better embed phonics concepts in the brain. For students who struggle with letter formation, explicit instruction is particularly important.
Students should be taught to start their letters at the top or middle, as is the case with some lowercase letters , and use continuous strokes as much as possible. Some letters will require them to lift up their pencils, and they should be taught when to do this. As of , 14 states required cursive instruction. Cursive writing requires a very different skill set from print writing.
It involves using the hand muscles in a different way. Additionally, it activates a different part of the brain than regular writing does. At the age cursive is taught, around 7 or 8 years old, these skills can be very beneficial in furthering motor skill development.
When students are taught the English language in only one form, print writing, they get only one chance to learn and memorize the letters. By having to learn cursive as well, students get another opportunity to fully comprehend the alphabet. Learning cursive also gives students a clearer understanding of how letters are formed, which will improve their print writing as well.
Being comfortable with cursive writing will guarantee students will be confident when writing and signing legal documentation. A cursive signature is most commonly required to endorse legal documents, accompanied by a printed version of their name too.
Writing and signing checks is another reason for learning cursive. Cursive writing has historically been the standard style when writing authorized checks for payment.
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