Comments

Yet another shining example how so-called progressive ideas (usually implemented before they are tested and proven) get thwarted by the collected wisdom of the unprogressive ideas of previous generations.

Good handwriting skills are important for good handwriting (an ability which is arguably not quite as important as it once was), but also for succss at other (more advanced?) abilities that rely on good handwriting -- like math.

-- KDeRosa - 25 Mar 2006

Handwriting is UNBELIEVABLY important to math.

Christopher's BRILLIANT 5TH GRADE TEACHER, MS DUQUE, had a fabulous rant about MAYBE THEY COULD DO LONG DIVISION NOW IF YOU'D TAUGHT THEM HOW TO PRINT LEGIBLY AND LINE UP COLUMNS OF NUMBERS IN SECOND GRADE.

bingo

-- CatherineJohnson - 25 Mar 2006

We're going to bug the principal about the not-asking-for-help business.

His policy is that teachers are supposed to be contacting parents....though I don't know at what point they're supposed to do this. (He was unhappy with Ms. K for not contacting us when Christopher's test grades had slipped to a 'D.')

This will give him ammunition.

-- CatherineJohnson - 25 Mar 2006

I hope.

-- CatherineJohnson - 25 Mar 2006

Handwriting is UNBELIEVABLY important to math.

I'd go so far to say that that good handwriting is juat like the ability to read fluently. It's all about automaticity and freeing the brain up to attend to other things. So not having fluid handwriting is a handicap for any skill that involves writing because the mind is busy attending to the mechanics of writing instead of the business at hand.

-- KDeRosa - 25 Mar 2006

I'd go so far to say that that good handwriting is juat like the ability to read fluently. It's all about automaticity and freeing the brain up to attend to other things.

I agree.

There's quite a bit of research showing that kids with good handwriting also write better essays.

But with math you have the additional issue of poor handwriting causing errors.

-- CatherineJohnson - 25 Mar 2006

Another interesting thing: a couple of O.T.s have told us that for a lot of kids, including Christopher, cursive writing is easier than printing.

You can't use cursive writing when you're doing math.

A whole other problem.

-- CatherineJohnson - 25 Mar 2006

I think a lot of Long Island schools have stopped teaching cursive altogether (it was either cursive or printing, but I think cursive).

-- CatherineJohnson - 25 Mar 2006

Just an another example of the assault on the teaching of basic skills.

In my son's kindergarten class they jumped right to writing (Kids' Writing) completely bypassing all the important basic pre-skills -- decoding, reading, spelling, and handwriting. All those skills will be learned by osmosis when kids are immersed in writing, or so the (unproven) theory goes.

-- KDeRosa - 25 Mar 2006

they jumped right to writing (Kids' Writing) completely bypassing all the important basic pre-skills

writing?

they're supposed to be writing things down on paper?

words?

-- CatherineJohnson - 25 Mar 2006

My sister in law is a 1st grade teacher in IL. She said the 'standards' there have become insane.

I think they're supposed to have first graders writing....she may actually have said 3-paragraph essays; I'm not sure.

She said, 'Some of these people writing standards have no idea what children are like.'

-- CatherineJohnson - 25 Mar 2006

Is handwriting a gender issue? I don't know. Both of my girls have struggled with handwriting, but for different reasons.

I can't tell you how many times I have given the sermon, "If you don't write neatly and legibly, you may get the wrong answer, not because you don't know how to to the problem, but because you didn't line up the numbers."

Kristy, now an 11th grader, struggled with handwriting early on because she didn't have great fine motor skills. Her teachers were emphasizing its importance and ultimately, that was the hammer that caused her to really work at getting better.

Megan, the 7th grader, has excellent fine motor skills and for the most part, her handwriting was very legible. For her, it wasn't so much of a handwriting/fine motor issue as it was that the math curriculum wasn't providing the opportunities to learn and practice this skill. When she started KUMON, she learned (FINALLY) how important this was.

One of the features I liked about KUMON was that if you missed more than 3 problems on a worksheet, you had to correct the problems. This offers a major incentive to take the time to do it right the first time!!

I definitely think KUMON forced Megan to write numbers legibly--it developed it as a habit.

-- KarenA - 26 Mar 2006

reluctance to seek help from others

You mean this is a BOY thing?

I thought it was a BEN thing!

He'll snarl at me if I try to help him. Not only that, he'll snarl at teachers and teacher's aides if they try to help him.

-- CarolynJohnston - 26 Mar 2006

"because you didn't line up the numbers."

I'm still stuck on this. You guys don't give kids graph paper?

One symbol per square.

My handwriting is pretty bad, but I don't recall it giving me any problems in maths.

-- TracyW - 26 Mar 2006

Er, could I possibly say the we don't like askin' for directions? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' DIRECTIONS! WE LIKE EXPLORING LOST CONTINENTS - OR AT LEAST LOST STREETS!

And our handwriting stinks because our powerful brains are too fast for our fine motor skills. Like the Mekon of Mekonta!

-- VerghisKoshi - 26 Mar 2006

Karen A

I don't know whether handwriting is a gender issue, but I think it is — entirely based on how often I've heard the 'boys have poor fine motor skills' refrain....

My own handwriting is terrible, and it really bothers me.

I tried to remediate my handwriting along with Christopher's and did make some progress, but then got off track when the 5th grade school year began.

Supposedly people all over America, when you ask them about their handwriting, feel horrible about it!

I know I do. I HATE my handwriting. I once had a scientist ask me if I had a handwriting disability — !

-- CatherineJohnson - 26 Mar 2006

One of the features I liked about KUMON was that if you missed more than 3 problems on a worksheet, you had to correct the problems. This offers a major incentive to take the time to do it right the first time!!

At my KUMON center you correct EVERYTHING!

-- CatherineJohnson - 26 Mar 2006

Tracy

We do not give graph paper to children in math.

That would make too much sense.

-- CatherineJohnson - 26 Mar 2006

Last year, when Christopher was in 5th grade, I actually made up my own graph paper template (I think the squares were a bit larger than commercial graph paper).

I gave copies of it to a couple of the math teachers, and they both contacted me asking permission to copy it and hand it out in class!

We have a HUGE educational industry, selling a gazillion products to schools, and a teacher can't buy slightly-oversized graph paper.

The grade school teachers all had a good work-around, which was that they had the kids turn their lined paper sideways, and write columns of numbers in between the now-vertical lines.

Come to think of it, I should make up my own vertically-lined template...

-- CatherineJohnson - 26 Mar 2006

Carolyn

You mean this is a BOY thing?

I thought it was a BEN thing!

He'll snarl at me if I try to help him. Not only that, he'll snarl at teachers and teacher's aides if they try to help him.

I'm blown away by the whole thing.

We have PITCHED battles about this, PITCHED.

I was thinking it was just Christopher. He goes NUTS if you so much as SUGGEST that PERHAPS he DOESN'T KNOW EVERYTHING ON EARTH ABOUT, say, MOTION & FORCE.

(that's another subject: you would not BELIEVE his 'science' text)

-- CatherineJohnson - 26 Mar 2006

I was thinking Christopher was just a nut....so now of course I'm wondering whether this really is a boy thing.

I wouldn't be surprised.

-- CatherineJohnson - 26 Mar 2006