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Raleigh, N.C. — Lawmakers are hoping to reverse course on a recent education trend in which cursive handwriting instruction is abandoned in favor of other instructional topics.
Dubbed the "Back to Basics" bill, House Bill 146 would require public schools to add two traditional instructional elements back to their curricula: cursive writing and learning the multiplication tables.
Specifically, the bill would require instruction "so that students create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade." It would also require students to "memorize multiplication tables to demonstrate competency in efficiently multiplying numbers."
Local education officials have said cursive writing is falling out of the curriculum to make room for other subjects required by new "common core" standards being put in place.
Rachel Beaulieu, the legislative liaison for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, said her agency hasn't reviewed the bill and didn't have a comment on it.
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http://davidsortino.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/10036/intelligence-and-the-lost-art-of-cursive-writing/
February 22, 2013 7:28 p.m.
but not in standard grade-school.
Which is the point.
February 22, 2013 6:39 p.m.
So is Japanese and Chinese caligraphy. But these classes are taught at the college level for credit. In America you'll have a greater chance of using cursive writing than caligraphy.
February 22, 2013 6:35 p.m.
Just because you don't use multiplication tables at your fast food, drive through job, doesn't mean the rest of us don't. Multiplication is at the core of all mathematics that follow it. You can't do trigonemtry or calculus without it. Those are two branches of math that make our high tech society possible.
February 22, 2013 6:19 p.m.
If that was posted to Wikipedia it would have [citation needed] right after it.
February 22, 2013 5:34 p.m.
The educated people in the world are still learning to write cursive, memorizing multiplication tables, and yes, learning Latin. Go check out your nearest elite, expensive, private school.
While I can understand why some may think cursive is not important, it boggles my mind that anybody thinks that kids shouldn't learn multiplication tables. Until one memorizes basic math facts, one will never be able to advance in math. Memorization of math facts allows for speed in solving problems.
February 22, 2013 5:23 p.m.
February 22, 2013 4:36 p.m.
February 22, 2013 4:11 p.m.
Not sure what you yourself are drinking, but you seem to have confused "cursive" (an antiquated, outdated, useless type of script) with "writing"... a skill still taught in schools.
Likewise, they still teach reading in all schools... just not in Latin or other dead languages.
But again- if your best argument is something like "If an EMP takes out all electricity we'll need to be able to write loopy letters" your argument is pretty terrible.
February 22, 2013 4:07 p.m.
My thoughts exactly, all the sheep who think that is an impossibility are drinking too much koolaid. Handwriting is a necessary tool,
February 22, 2013 4:03 p.m.
February 22, 2013 3:58 p.m.
This has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen.
February 22, 2013 3:46 p.m.
February 22, 2013 3:24 p.m.
February 22, 2013 3:12 p.m.
That is what lazy people think.- charmcclainlovesdogs2
it's also what people who actually know the law think.
Apparently you're too lazy to verify that your assumption that it's required is wrong. Go figure!
February 22, 2013 3:12 p.m.
That is what lazy people think. Go figure!"
No! that is fact, whether lazy people grasp it or others. I knew a guy with an Anglo name whose legal signature on court documents was the Arabic rendering of his nickname. OMG! I know at least two lawyers who sign pleadings with no more than a circle with a squiggly line.
And have you seen Sec Treas Jack Lew's siggy? You may not like him because he is an Obama appointee but the Harvard and Georgetown Law grad is no dolt.
February 22, 2013 3:07 p.m.
February 22, 2013 3:04 p.m.
February 22, 2013 2:59 p.m.
I am, but this is hardly the most egregious trampling of rights these days.
" cursive writing teaches more than pretty writing. It teaches discipline and attention to detail."
ANY writing assignment taught properly should do that, without resorting wasting class time on antiquities.
February 22, 2013 2:57 p.m.
That is what lazy people think. Go figure!
February 22, 2013 2:44 p.m.
February 22, 2013 2:27 p.m.
and as at least 3 different people have already explained in this thread, cursive is NOT REQUIRED for a legal signature.
Perhaps instead we should teach reading comprehension, since people keep bringing up this totally wrong point without having read the last several times their error was pointed out?
February 22, 2013 2:24 p.m.
February 22, 2013 2:24 p.m.
There are more choices than just "cursive" and "x."
February 22, 2013 2:19 p.m.
I still write check because I do not have a computer not do I trust to put certain information on them. I don't have to do what everyone else is doing regardless if it is 2013. But one thing is for sure, some where in your life, you will have to sign your name. Printing your name is not the same. A first grader can do that.
February 22, 2013 2:18 p.m.
Certainly is a good thing that you're an EX teacher!!!!!
February 22, 2013 2:12 p.m.
February 22, 2013 2:05 p.m.
If the sponsors of the bill were familiar with state curricula, they'd know that.
February 22, 2013 1:59 p.m.
February 22, 2013 1:57 p.m.
Did they really stop teaching multiplication tables?????
And - cursive writing teaches more than pretty writing. It teaches discipline and attention to detail.
February 22, 2013 1:51 p.m.
You can't write in regular print without power?
Hint: When your only argument in favor of something is this silly you should probably give up your argument.
February 22, 2013 1:49 p.m.
February 22, 2013 1:47 p.m.
February 22, 2013 1:44 p.m.
February 22, 2013 1:35 p.m.
February 22, 2013 1:34 p.m.
February 22, 2013 1:32 p.m.
Terrible! No one besides honey_pot needs cursive writing. And once and for all, you don't need to write it to be able to read it anymore than you have to be able to render Times New Roman or Courier to read it!!! When Americans read their own Constitution they read a typed version, they don't go to Archives in DC to sit there and read it. You don't need to know ancient Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic to read a Bible!
It's embarrassing we are even considering this. It is local school district business if they want to perpetuate pastoral living. Next the Honorables will want to teach kids to type on Underwoods with ribbons and white-Out.
February 22, 2013 1:23 p.m.
February 22, 2013 1:15 p.m.
CURSIVE WRITING NOW AND FOREVER!!!!!
February 22, 2013 1:14 p.m.
I am constantly amazed at how people have no qualms about posting something very judgmental without having a cursory knowledge of the facts of the matter.
February 22, 2013 1:09 p.m.
February 22, 2013 1:08 p.m.
because as we all know, in order to be a member of the house in NC, you're required to be a professional educator or administrator. oops - no? the only requirements are to be over 21, a voter, and a resident of your district for at least 1 year.
February 22, 2013 1:03 p.m.
In the rare event an adult who cannot read cursive encounters a job where they need to be able to read cursive, then they learn to read cursive. We are rapidly reaching a point where the only purpose for learning cursive is to read archival texts. There is no reason to teach every child to write cursive for the sole purpose of filling the few jobs where reading cursive is a required skill. Also, an inability to write in cursive does not equal an lack of ability to read cursive. My cursive writing is terrible, but I have no trouble reading early American texts.
February 22, 2013 12:57 p.m.
February 22, 2013 12:52 p.m.
February 22, 2013 12:51 p.m.
First, you have a peculiar job. Others with peculiar jobs, like clergy, rabbis, imams etc. have to learn old languages or old forms of languages the rest of us don't. Second cursive is not cuneiform or cyrillic, it just our regular language all loopy and connected together. The few who need/want to sharpen this can do it post-secondary or optionally, along with basket-weaving and sock-darning.
February 22, 2013 12:47 p.m.
February 22, 2013 12:33 p.m.
February 22, 2013 12:24 p.m.
February 22, 2013 12:15 p.m.
February 22, 2013 12:14 p.m.