I don't think formal calligraphy necessarily deserves a core subject, but I do think that cursive is still a wonderful art to be taught, and not necessarily an unnecessary one.
In other words, necessary (and forms thereof) are very funky looking.
sorry, but I think you're biased because your handwriting is bad. And so is the woman who wrote this because her son is bad at it. I think it's an important skill to learn. There aren't always computers or typewriters around when you need to express yourself. It's like learning to swim or drive -- you could get by without it but not without a lot of struggle, and sometimes it is even dangerous not to know how. I think writing is more important than swimming or driving. Learning to form letters in a way that is intelligible to other people should definitely be taught in schools. Aside from the necessity, it also helps coordination and probably brain connections and thinking logically, like learning to crawl.
I am somewhat biased, and I think the woman is unreasonably biased. If you can't write intelligibly (i.e. g distinguishable from q), then you're pretty badly screwed.* I agree with your point that intelligible writing is critical, potentially lifesaving, useful for forming brain connections, etc.
But I'm against learning a darn font like "D'Nealian Cursive"
Given the option, I'd far rather have Kalina spend an hour a day in elementary school learning Spanish (also brain-expanding and potentially lifesaving) rather than how to loop a perfect gothic capital G.
*I can imagine ways around handwriting for the dyslexic or learning disabled, but none of them are easy.
Well, I'm generally with you on this (of course, you're the one person I know who prints worse than I do, never mind cursive), I think that because it is still widely used in our culture, it is important for children to learn it, if only to be able to _read_ it. And frankly, learning to write it pretty much goes hand in hand with that.
I'm reminded of a Simpsons episode, where Bart goes to a new school, it's discovered that he doesn't know cursive, and is put in the remedial class where the kids are issued safety pencils and circles of paper.
a perfect gothic capital G.
Common English script is hardly gothic; perhaps you're thinking of Fraktur, which is the old German style of script?
I still suck at writing, but it is a really good activity for developing fine manual motor control, if you dropped that you would have to replace it with something and the other examples I can think of (counted cross stick or other needle work, sign language, puppetry) are perhaps more useless.
I think grade school students should write, a lot. Just that content and intelligibility should be emphasized, not precise matching of an ideal handwriting style.
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In other words, necessary (and forms thereof) are very funky looking.
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But I'm against learning a darn font like "D'Nealian Cursive"
Given the option, I'd far rather have Kalina spend an hour a day in elementary school learning Spanish (also brain-expanding and potentially lifesaving) rather than how to loop a perfect gothic capital G.
*I can imagine ways around handwriting for the dyslexic or learning disabled, but none of them are easy.
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I'm reminded of a Simpsons episode, where Bart goes to a new school, it's discovered that he doesn't know cursive, and is put in the remedial class where the kids are issued safety pencils and circles of paper.
a perfect gothic capital G.
Common English script is hardly gothic; perhaps you're thinking of Fraktur, which is the old German style of script?
--josh
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I think grade school students should write, a lot. Just that content and intelligibility should be emphasized, not precise matching of an ideal handwriting style.
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http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/202
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