Is it normal for a 4th grader not to know how to read OR write in cursive?

Question

My 10 year old son is in 4th grade and doesnt know how to write or read in cursive. I have spoke to his teacher about this and she stated that there wasnt enough funding to cover cursive and because most writing was done on the compter now-a-days that there wasnt a need for it. I was just wondering what other parents thought of this and if you had a child around the same age are they, or have they learned it? Thanks a heap!

Answer 1

well My son is in the 5th Grade and they do need to know how to sign there name in Cursive.I meen thats about all he would need it for.and reading things in Cursive well not many people write in cursive.And I have Never heard of a computer teaching you how to write in Cursive thats what they pay the teacher for.I would have a chat with your school because something is wrong and it just maybe the teacher.You can help him write in Cursive,Go to wal-mart or any department store and they have this flat lamented cursive helper it is like $1.oo or so.It helped my Son alot.

Answer 2

This isn't a new problem by any stretch of the imagination. I took up to 4th grade in the public schools and I had been taught basically no cursive at all when my parents enrolled me in 4th grade at a private school(for reasons unrelated to the handwriting.) I learned cursive at the private school, but I was well behind my classmates.

If you want an idea of how long this has been going on, I'm a senior in college now.

The teacher's argument is bad. Not all writing is done on the computer; the essay test is still a very important part of high school and college life, and speed is absolutely essential. However, given that the public schools are still turning out illiterate students, you may have to take cursive writing instruction into your own hands.

Answer 3

Cursive is taught in 3rd grade, it doesn't take a lot of school funding! The way it is done, they give out a worksheet each morning with a different letter of the alphabet, and some blank lines to practice writing the letter and writing words and sentences with that letter included.

I have 6 kids, ages 10 through 25. They all learned cursive, and use it frequently. There are some children's books in the library, (one I can think of written by Jamie Lee Curtis) that have cursive words in them, kids wouldn't be able to read these books if they couldn't read cursive.

If I were you, I would find some free and easy worksheets online and teach your son cursive now, while he's 10.

Answer 4

That teacher can say what they want but you NEED cursive, even with computers being so influential.

I do not know one adult that does not write in cursive - that includes high school teachers. If you son does not know how to read cursive by the time he gets to high school, he won't fare too well as he won't be able to read his teacher's remarks on papers and whatnot.

Besides, who later in the life even has the time to print? Cursive writing virtually replaces printing by the time university hits, if not earlier than that.

As for whether or not it's normal, 4th grade is not that bad. It's never too late to teach your son to read and write cursive. I don't know how the elementary school system works in America/Canada but it's definitely a heck of a lot different from Europe. When I was in grades 1-3, I lived in Switzerland and went to school there. They taught you cursive in grade 1. You were taught to write with a fountain pen - you were EXPECTED to have a fountain pen. I didn't even know what a ballpoint pen was until I came to Canada. By the time I was in grade 3, I wrote everything in cursive and in pen. Everything including math and excluding rough work.

Personally, I liked it better that way - compared to my classmates, I can actually write cursive.

Please teach your son cursive - I promise you won't regret it. :)

Answer 5

For whatever reason, teachers are moving away from teaching cursive! I've found this to be true at my sons' school. They teach it a bit, but it seems they teach it more to the girls than to the boys!!

My son (10 yo gr. 5) learned cursive with his tutor last year, but he never uses it.

Personally, I'd rather have my children learn to type than learn cursive. As important as cursive is, and as much as I think they should learn it, I think your son's teacher is right... more and more, students are using the computer. I think the art of cursive is dying :(

Answer 6

They seem to be doing away with cursive writing in some schools as it is seen to be almost pointless in the days where paperwork is often marked by computer and cursive writing makes this difficult. It depends on the school and the teachers over whether cursive writing is held in importance. It is usually schools with older teachers who place more emphasis on children being familiar with this writing whereas schools with teachers who are predominantly younger who concentrate more on academics, allowing handwriting to slip by.

Answer 7

I learnened how to write in cursive in 3rd grade, but thats just me. I didnt learn how t read it for a while. It's normal though half the kids in my class (7th) dont know either to read it or write it.

Answer 8

Cursive writing has gone out the window with students typing their work on the computer.Dont worry about it.

Answer 9

I write with non-cursive, italicized lettering. Occasionally, I include cursive letters in with the normal ones on a whim. For example, the 'y' at the end of a word.

Answer 10

im 23 and can only sign my name in cursive, and can barely read it..... the teacher is right, who cares at this point