The children and I are in Minnesota, where my wife and I grew up. We fly here every summer to expose them to this grass, this water, and to see our loved ones in person. On our second morning, my mother left me this note. She learned her handwriting in Catholic schools. “But I worked to develop my own style,” she told me. “It got me in trouble with some teachers.”
Would prefer to leave a handwritten response, but this will have to suffice. I was eager to learn cursive so I could join my four older siblings in this ‘advanced’ form of communication. In my Catholic school (moons ago), writing was introduced in third grade. It signified growth. I echo the previous comments on your addition of news commentary. There’s a plethora of stories, theories, concepts awaiting your thoughtful, unbiased assessment.
I absolutely love the case you make for beautiful handwriting (and its gradual fading from our educational system). I read more carefully (and keep) ANY card or letter that is handwritten. (I probably haven’t received a handwritten letter from anyone since my mother died in 2006.)
And I also love the educational news summary. Please keep that coming, if you have the time and energy to do it.
Thank you, Judy. We used paper and pencil at Democracy Prep, and a stack of hand-written notes and assignments from students is one of my prized possessions.
I will keep doing the news section! Send any interesting articles my way.
Loved this! Could use even more commentary about the news stories, in fact. I also wondered where penmanship is being taught *well* (I have terrible lefty penmanship).
Thank you, Chris! I pared those news reactions down severely. Helpful to know they could hold interest in fuller form.
It’s still probably best in Catholic schools. Taken most seriously. I also encountered great handwriting instruction at the Windward School in Westchester, which is a private school for kids with learning disabilities.
Overall, though, a whole post could be written about how little we actually know with regard to what handwriting instruction, or any instruction, looks like in schools.
Would prefer to leave a handwritten response, but this will have to suffice. I was eager to learn cursive so I could join my four older siblings in this ‘advanced’ form of communication. In my Catholic school (moons ago), writing was introduced in third grade. It signified growth. I echo the previous comments on your addition of news commentary. There’s a plethora of stories, theories, concepts awaiting your thoughtful, unbiased assessment.
I absolutely love the case you make for beautiful handwriting (and its gradual fading from our educational system). I read more carefully (and keep) ANY card or letter that is handwritten. (I probably haven’t received a handwritten letter from anyone since my mother died in 2006.)
And I also love the educational news summary. Please keep that coming, if you have the time and energy to do it.
Thank you, Judy. We used paper and pencil at Democracy Prep, and a stack of hand-written notes and assignments from students is one of my prized possessions.
I will keep doing the news section! Send any interesting articles my way.
Will do!
Loved this! Could use even more commentary about the news stories, in fact. I also wondered where penmanship is being taught *well* (I have terrible lefty penmanship).
Thank you, Chris! I pared those news reactions down severely. Helpful to know they could hold interest in fuller form.
It’s still probably best in Catholic schools. Taken most seriously. I also encountered great handwriting instruction at the Windward School in Westchester, which is a private school for kids with learning disabilities.
Overall, though, a whole post could be written about how little we actually know with regard to what handwriting instruction, or any instruction, looks like in schools.