Can a public school teacher make cursive writing mandatory in her classroom?

Question

Today my 9 year old daughter was told by her fourth grade teacher ( public school ) that if she did'nt write in cursive it would affect her final grades. We live in Puerto Rico where the same laws apply in the same manner and to the same extent as throughout the United States. Before I talk to her I would like to know.... Is there some law for this ? Or is it just that this teacher wants her students to write this way because she thinks it looks better ?

Answer 1

I don't know it there is a law about it, but there is no way that it should be "her classroom, her rules". She doesn't set the curriculum.

I do have some strong opinions about this particular topic. There is nothing wrong with teaching children cursive writing, particularly if they like it, and don't need to spend the school time doing more important things. However, there is no practical reason to learn cursive writing, but some people like to hang on to the old ways. Some kids like it and find it fun, so no problem. But it is a waste of time, especially for children who struggle with it and could spend the time so much more productively doing something else. Everything we read is in manuscript (printed). We use a keyboard now, which produces manuscript. Cursive can confuse children who are struggling with reading, writing, and spelling because it means they have to learn another symbol system, and this time one that has no real useful purpose.

If your daughter can print well and legibly she doesn't need cursive. For some kids they can get work done faster in cursive, but this does not apply to all kids. My own daughter did not ever learn cursive writing - she printed everything very neatly and quickly right through elementary school, middle school, high school and two university degrees - history and psychology, and at 28 she is now about to start a masters.

This may be a bigger issue than you can fight, but I wanted to share with you my thoughts about the issue itself, even though I don't know about the legalities in your area. I would be very surprised though if cursive writing was a required part of the curriculum.

Best of luck to you and your daughter.

Answer 2

In California, public school teachers don't make up their own curriculum. They have to follow California State Standards. This is a list of learning objectives that must be accomplished or mastered by all students in their perspective grade levels. For example, your child's fourth grade teacher is merely letting your child know that she is not in compliance. That's all. There is no need to be defensive about the teacher's comments. In fact, handwriting is actually taught in THIRD grade. Here's a tip for you. Go see your child's teacher and ask to see some of her writing samples. If your child is clearly unable to write legibly in handwriting then ask for supplemental materials or even tutoring that would help your child advance. Most children do not write in handwriting not because they don't want to but because they don't know how to form the cursive letters. Give your child the extra assistance to pick up the skills she missed in 3rd grade and you'll see significant changes. Keep in mind that your child's teacher does not take things personally, it is just business. Teachers are in the business of helping kids obtain an education. The question always seem to be...but do they want it?

Answer 3

i had teachers the same way...i'm sure it is their call in their own classroom. Cursive has always been a mandatory thing to learn, has it not? It will help when there are many notes to take in high school, since printing is much slower. It will only help your daughter to learn along with everyone else.

Answer 4

Cursive writing is faster and it is a needed skill ( and many students are horrible at it partly because of computers). I think the teacher is just trying to help the students by making them do it. In days gone by, handwriting was practiced everyday in school ( my mother remembers this). She hated it, but she has wonderful penmanship....nowadays you can barely read anything that children write.

Answer 5

Okay, let's set the RECORD STRAIGHT for once and for all! .. Cursive is NOT Mandatory to learn BUT the Common Core Curriculum dictates that ALL STUDENTS Need to know how to read "SEMINAL HISTORIC DOCUMENTS", a mommy and or a Daddy might not like CCC, but too bad, too sad, and as an educator I'm not too fond of it either; it holds me back in my teaching, and so I am so happy that my "Charter" doesn't push it! Yet, for all of you out there who are not familiar with the term "SEMINAL" "out of a science class"... a Seminal Historic Document is one that is an ORIGIONAL HISTORIC DOCUMENT. Now, if all students in grades 7-12 need to KNOW how to read SEMINAL HISTORIC DOCUMENTS and they, those aforementioned docs are written in Cursive

Eg. The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, The Emancipation Proclamation; Then by "God" all students should know how to read script and or cursive.

Can Ms. Jones make it mandatory.. "NO", but if your child ever needs to and or wants to read a SEMINAL DOCUMENT they then must know CURSIVE and not manuscript " Manuscript is print".

-- Respectfully, A Veteran Speech and Reading Specialist with the NYC Dept. of Education

28 years as such

Answer 6

Her classroom, her rules. Have you seen the way adults write these days? I'm glad to hear of a teacher that is trying to make the children write legibly at that age which will benefit them later on. I hope she's clamping down on spelling, too.

Answer 7

In grade 2 my teacher said cursive was manditory. And if we didnt do it in cursive, she would throw out our paper and make us write it again.

Answer 8

Yes. It's part of the regular curriculum.