Community Chat

[sunshine45]

@Carmie

out of curiosity, what is that last word?

[BirkiLady]

@Carmie

Lovely handwriting!

Mr. and Mrs. Tom __________ and Family.    (No problem!)

[Carmie]

@BirkiLady  You are correct.

[sunshine45]

wow.....i could see the tom, but to me that did not look like "family" at all.

thanks!

[Annabellethecat66]

@kittyloo OMG!  I've written here a long time ago about this!  I was floored when I found out about this.

Four of my grandchildren go to school in Northern Virginia.  That's the only way I know what's going on in the school system.

I feel like the school system is 'experimenting' with these children's educations by flip flopping back and forth some of the dumbest ideas.

So a few years back SOMEONE decided the children didn't need to learn how to write cursive or read cursive so they stopped teaching it.

My oldest grandson was caught up in this!  He's 12 years old now.  He's in every gifted class and is supposed to be exceptionally bright....but the kid struggles reading cursive and can't even write his name.

My daughter has tried over and over to teach him, but any parent knows it's very difficult to teach your own kid.

So I was over her house for dinner on Sunday and she was telling me she's hiring a tutor to teach him how to write and read cursive.

Oh!  Did I mention that now Fairfax County Virginia has gone BACK to teaching cursive.

Sometimes I wonder who comes up with some of these stupid ideas.

This same daughter put her youngest son (now 6 years old) in private school because she's so frustrated with the County school system.

Her three older children go to schools for gifted children.  We are all so frustrated because here you have her son (who's so 'gifted' and he can't even read cursive or write his own name in cursive).

I know some of you will remember how I told the story back this summer about the Walmart checker who told me when her bright son started college he called her very upset telling his mom he had to sign some papers.

He said, "I don't know how to sign my name cursive".  She told me she told him, "Print out your name with the letters close together and draw lines connecting them.  It will look cursive".

Can you believe it?  Anyway, my daughter said her youngest son (in private school) can already start the writing process.  She laughed and said, "I hope he doesn't end up having to teach his older brother how to sign his name in cursive".

Funny, but sad!

[bathina]

@Annabellethecat66 Are you saying your grandson cannot read or write? Or that he can't read and write in cursive? It would be an issue if he is illiterate, but I'm assuming he's not. His ability to read and write in cursive is not tied to anything he will ever use in the new world, which will very quickly belong to his generation.

Most school districts are operating on low budgets (isn't there a school system that has gone to 4 day weeks because they have no money) and resources need to be conserved. If there are enough teachers to be able to teach cursive that's a bonus, but these days many of the teachers are stretched just to get in the very basics. Sure, I'd love to see public schools make changing a tire, balancing a checkbook, navigating through a public transportation system mandatory, but they just don't have the capacity. Same with cursve (actually the aformentioned are more important than cursive since you'll actually USE the knowledge), it's a nice to have, but it's irrelevant to any student's future. Like Latin.

[sunshine45]

check out the latest signature on our us currency.

[bikerbabe]

I know many who print their signature, especially guys. It’s not an age thing and not knowing how. It’s just a preference.

[Annabellethecat66]

I'm saying he has trouble reading cursive writing because he wasn't taught it.  THAT's what I'm saying.

He is very bright.  I'm NOT saying the kid can't read or write.  I said cursive...there is a difference between cursive writing and printing.  

Do you remember way back learning how to make a cursive E?

This isn't very well written but you'll get the idea:

Here it is printed out (not all of it but enough to give you an idea of the difference)

Hello,

My cursive is not what I used to write Christmas cards.  I (?) print the address though.

When I write slower it seems the scribbling gets better......

Do you see the difference as far as reading it?  He can read and print.  There is a difference in reading the cursive versus the printed word.

I don't know if I can explain it any easier.  I apologize for the poor example.  I got tired of trying to find something written in cursive.  It's getting late and I'm tired.  

This should show you the difference though.

Now throw in all of that the fact that some people get fancy when they write cursive.  I make cursive letters very 'flowery' looking.  I enjoy writing so I take liberties with the cursive letters.  This can make reading cursive even more challenging.

I hope I've been able to show  you the difference between reading a printed word versus a cursive word.

[sunshine45]

@Annabellethecat66

that ? word is DO.

"i do print the address though."