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Every weekday morning, I pull out those familiar dotted three-lined sheets and create handwriting practice for my three sons. They complain, they groan, and we often have to wait for their ADHD medications to kick in before we can even begin. “I despise learning cursive,” my nine-year-old, Leo, tells me repeatedly. “You need to learn it,” I respond, embracing my role as the so-called villain. “Many high schoolers struggle to read cursive. At least, that’s what I’ve seen.”
There’s plenty of debate about this topic, but we persist. After all, monumental documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta are written in cursive. I refuse to let my children grow up unable to understand these important texts; that kind of ignorance is unacceptable.
My kids aren’t alone in their struggles. A third-grade teacher, Sarah Lee, from a public school in New York, expressed to The New York Times that including cursive in the curriculum seems like a nostalgic holdover. “As a millennial educator, it feels like a boomer initiative,” she said. “We should focus on typing skills, anti-racist education, digital literacy, and other essential skills.”
Fortunately, we homeschool, so we have the flexibility to cover all that. And don’t label me a Boomer. Everyone needs to sign their name at some point, and cursive is still part of our written world. Cursive appears on signs, in fonts, and in historical documents; kids should be able to read it to navigate life as literate adults. Plus, cursive is quicker to write.
Learning Cursive Requires Dedication
Ms. Lee is right about one thing: mastering cursive takes time. We dedicate about twenty minutes daily to handwriting practice. I actually spend around forty minutes because I need time to prepare their writing sheets, which have progressed from individual letters to quotes and poems.
I could use a textbook, but honestly, I’m too lazy to shop for one. Do I need to provide guidance to each child? Absolutely. Cursive can be challenging. There’s a lot of “stay on the bottom line,” “this is how you form an O,” and “try to keep that pencil down.” Teaching cursive to a class of thirty students would require a lot of assistance. When my middle son had significant ADHD meltdowns over it, I had to guide him through each letter. He’s nine and still struggles, but he also finds printing difficult.
But I refuse to give up.
Why I Teach My Kids Cursive
My eldest son, Max, simply takes his writing sheet and completes it. His cursive is quite good, which is impressive considering he has dysgraphia, affecting how he forms letters and spells words. His printing resembles that of a kindergartener, and he’s eleven. Learning cursive boosts his confidence and provides him with a means to express himself.
My other two sons need cursive to successfully navigate the world as adults. When designing T-shirts, I utilize cursive fonts. While walking down the street, I see cursive signs everywhere. When I read the Declaration of Independence, I encounter cursive words, because Thomas Jefferson didn’t write in neat block letters for everyone’s convenience.
Being able to read English script is essential for literacy. Imagine a scenario where individuals squint at the Declaration of Independence. It’s a beautiful document, but they can’t decipher, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” We can debate Jefferson’s meanings and flaws all day, but as a foundational statement, it’s undeniably powerful.
So, my kids may complain and throw tantrums. Just last month, they struggled to form a cursive A. But three months later, my seven-year-old penned “Ariel’s Song” from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. He didn’t write it perfectly; he didn’t always stay on the bottom line, and I had to reread it with him. But he did it. They all have legal signatures now.
They might grumble one day about how I forced them to learn cursive, only to use it occasionally for signing documents. But at least they’ll be able to read it.
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Summary
In this article, the author discusses the importance of teaching cursive writing to children, despite criticisms that it’s outdated. Cursive is essential for understanding historical documents and navigating the world as literate adults. The author shares personal anecdotes about her sons’ struggles and successes with cursive, emphasizing the pride and confidence it can instill. The piece advocates for cursive as a valuable skill worth investing time in.