Every weekday morning, I pull out those familiar dotted lined sheets and prepare handwriting exercises for my three sons. As expected, they whine and complain, often making it a challenge to settle down, especially while waiting for their ADHD medication to take effect. “I hate learning cursive,” my nine-year-old son, Leo, insists, day after day.
“You need to learn it,” I respond, maybe a bit too harshly. “Many high schoolers struggle to read cursive. At least, that’s what I’ve noticed.” There’s a lot of debate surrounding this topic, yet we continue our practice. After all, crucial historical documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta are written in cursive. I refuse to let my kids miss out on understanding these important texts.
My kids aren’t the only ones. Emma Rodriguez, a third-grade teacher in New York, expressed to The New York Times that teaching cursive feels like a nostalgic throwback. “I’m a millennial teacher; it seems like a boomer initiative,” she said, suggesting we focus on skills like typing, anti-racism education, and digital literacy. We’re fortunate to homeschool, so I can incorporate all that into our schedule. But don’t accuse me of being old-fashioned; everyone needs a signature, and cursive is everywhere—on signs, in fonts, and in documents that shape our history. Plus, it’s a quicker way to write.
Learning cursive is a commitment. We dedicate about twenty minutes a day to handwriting practice, and I spend an additional twenty preparing their worksheets, which have transitioned from individual letters to quotes and poems. I know I could use a textbook, but I often don’t feel like looking for one.
Do I need to guide them through the process? Absolutely. Cursive writing isn’t easy. There are lots of tricky details, like staying on the baseline and ensuring letters connect properly. When my middle son had intense meltdowns about it, I had to help him through every single letter. He’s nine and still finds it challenging, but he struggles with printing too.
I refuse to give up.
My oldest son manages to complete his handwriting assignments quite well. This is remarkable, considering he has dysgraphia, which affects how he writes and spells. His printed letters look like those of a much younger child, but learning cursive has given him a sense of achievement. It’s a means for him to express himself.
My other two boys also need cursive to navigate life as adults. When I design T-shirts, I often use cursive fonts. When I’m out and about, I see cursive signs everywhere. Even when I read the Declaration of Independence, I’m looking at cursive letters, because Thomas Jefferson didn’t print in easy-to-read block letters.
Cursive is a part of literacy. It’s the script used in English, and we should be able to read it. Imagine a world where people squint at the Declaration of Independence. It’s a beautiful document, yet they can’t comprehend “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” We can debate Jefferson’s intentions endlessly, but that phrase is a powerful statement.
So, while my kids may fuss and throw fits, they are learning. Just a few months ago, they couldn’t form a cursive “A,” yet now my seven-year-old has written “Ariel’s Song” from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It wasn’t perfect; he didn’t stay on the baseline, and I had to help him reread it before writing. But he did it. They all have their legal signatures now.
One day, they might complain that I forced them to learn cursive and that they rarely use it outside of signing documents. But at least they’ll be able to read it.
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Summary
This article discusses the author’s commitment to teaching her children cursive writing, despite claims that it is outdated. She emphasizes the importance of cursive for understanding historical documents and the practicalities of everyday life. The author shares the challenges her children face while learning and highlights the pride they feel in mastering this skill. Ultimately, she believes that being able to read cursive is essential for literacy.
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