Cursive Literacy

One of the rites of passage of being a third grader is learning cursive handwriting. I know that it is a much debated topic in these electronic times. One side of the debate claims typing is all you need. I agree. Madelyn practices typing daily for 30 minutes. The other side argues that cursive makes a child's handwriting clear, legible and fast. I agree with them too. Writing letters and jotting down notes is something lifelong learners do. A computer is not always handy when genius strikes or when your grandmother needs to be thanked for the handmade quilt.

While Madelyn's school values cursive handwriting, it does not take the time to teach it. So, a teachable moment presented itself for me. Not only do I get to teach Madelyn something new, but I got to peruse the teacher store in order to prepare for said instruction. I could spend days looking at teacher stuff. It inspires me; it motivates me; it gives me warm fuzzies.

I chose a workbook for my pupil and proudly presented it to her. She looked at the alphabet inside the cover and decided that Mandarin symbols meant more to her than what she saw there. Reading cursive, it seems, is akin to learning to read a foreign language. Now, Madelyn and I sit shoulder-to-shoulder daily marveling at the beauty of cursive handwriting and the challenges of reading it.