In today's edition of our local paper, the syndicated advice column of "Annie" (he writers are long time editors of the Ann Landers advice column), had a letter from a school nurse.
The last letter in the column addresses a concern raised (correctly IMHO) by a school nurse who feels that more skills should be taught at home. Their response was "You want the kids to learn cursive or to make correct change? Here is your opportunity to teach them".
I read the column and interpreted Annie's response as a general "you" meaning parents, grandparents, etc.
I will admit to being frustrated that many parents don't teach at home. Kids should at the very least come to school knowing their alphabet (the ABC song anyone?), knowing their colors, counting, numbers, etc. And parents should be reading to their kids from infancy on.
Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
Not a school nurse but have heard this discussion before about not teaching cursive. Reminds me of looking at copies of Old English calligraphy or declaration of independence and admiring the penmanship. On the other hand, while many will consider this a lost art, the reality is that computers/keyboarding in what kids need to master to succeed, especially in high school, college. One doc I work with, the pharmacy has great difficulty with his prescriptions & I can not read his progress notes, it's badger scratches 3.0! I have a 21 y.o. and her school term papers were typed in MLA style. As an aside, some of her acquaintances can not tell time with a traditional clock! One told me his first watch was an LED, most of them use their cell phones to tell time (well until the apple watch came out on market) or their computer/dashboard clock. IMO, not being able to write cursive will probably not hinder this generation and those to come. Someone will create an app or computer program that will read those old letters/papers in family archives.
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
My previous job was paper charting, and all my co-workers wrote in cursive, and I wrote print. It was absolutely a generational thing as they were all my mother's age or older."
I guess I'm old, then, in my mid-thirties! [emoji23]I can write in cursive and often do, because my writing defaults to it as I write.
Actually, I think my the private school I attended was old school. We learned to write in cursive prior to 1st grade being completed.
My grandma has the most beautiful handwriting in cursive. I've noticed many older people write similarly. It must have been the way it was taught.
Catholic School writing. The nuns beat it into the kids.
Janey, I don't know if you were being sarcastic, but i would love Latin to be taught. So many words can be figured out if one knows the Latin root.
I never took it, but my Dad is a bit of a Latin phreak. I learned through osmosis.
I meant it as slight hyperbole,
but if given the choice I actually would have chosen to take Latin in high school (like my mom did) out of pure interest. I do love knowing basic Greek and Latin root words...so useful! And I also think Old English or Old Gaelic would be fun to know.
but if given the choice I actually would have chosen to take Latin in high school (like my mom did) out of pure interest. I do love knowing basic Greek and Latin root words...so useful! And I also think Old English or Old Gaelic would be fun to know.
Yea, I was trying Old Gaelic tonight with my Guinness and it came out as gobbledygook.
On the other hand, while many will consider this a lost art, the reality is that computers/keyboarding in what kids need to master to succeed, especially in high school, college.
I tell this to my children and my students all the time! I took keyboarding as a blow off class my senior year of HS and it was the best decision! I will be charting on the kids in my office and they often comment about how fast I type and that "You're not even looking at the keyboard!!!"
That being said, I do want my kids to learn cursive. They taught it in the district where my oldest had second grade and I honestly don't know if they teach it at our current district. My oldest sometimes teaches my 8 year olds some cursive, mostly their names.
I tell this to my children and my students all the time! I took keyboarding as a blow off class my senior year of HS and it was the best decision! I will be charting on the kids in my office and they often comment about how fast I type and that "You're not even looking at the keyboard!!!"
That being said, I do want my kids to learn cursive. They taught it in the district where my oldest had second grade and I honestly don't know if they teach it at our current district. My oldest sometimes teaches my 8 year olds some cursive, mostly their names.
You learn to "keyboard" when you learn to type. I took typing in high school, thank goodness and then in college I initially took business courses (this was in 1975) and learned shorthand and keypunch and many other (now useless) ways to communicate.
I'm a fan of teaching cursive. My son learned it at his public elementary school. They also had the kids on computers in 1st grade and learned how to type that way.
I was a typing tutor to a blind student while in college and people would always ask me "How can you teach typing to someone who can't see?". Well, when I took typing, you were not allowed to look at the keys. You had to learn by touch. It was easy to teach him.
My husband is 4 years older than me and never took a typing class. He "hunts and pecks" and it drives me crazy!! And he has to write reports for work - takes him forever.
Back to the subject - cursive is a faster way to write. In my opinion.
mc3, ASN, RN
931 Posts
I like writing my nurse notes back to the teachers in cursive. The kids can't read them 😇