To Curs(iv)e or Not to Curs(iv)e

Original photo credit: Kevin Dooley

Ahh, the age old - err . . .  maybe not that old! - question: to teach cursive or not to teach cursive. One of the great things about blogging, is seeing into classrooms around the world; the similarities and the vast differences. One of those differences, is in curriculum. It's really interesting to see the variance between teachers within the same grade level.

So, onto the topic of today - cursive, do you teach it? In my district, it is not required, but that doesn't mean that some teachers don't add it in. Here's the secret about cursive: similar to the topic of spelling, it can cause some very STRONG opinions. From students and teachers to parents and grandparents, many people have an opinion and they don't always agree!

Some kids love to learn it (have you ever seen the flowery name tags of girls teaching themselves cursive?) and some kids really struggle. Some parents think it is necessary ("How will they ever be able to read my writing?") while others think it is a waste of time ("Cursive? Who needs that - it's all about computers now!").

Of course, opinions extend to teachers, too. I know some teachers who choose to teach it every.single.year. Handing out booklets and homework and review sheets. Other teachers write the date or the schedule in cursive; they expose the students to it, but don't explicitly teach it. And of course, there are a few who ignore it; it's not part of the curriculum therefore it's not part of the classroom. Opinions aside, I am curious about the situation outside of my district. Are you required to teach it? If you're not required, do you still find ways to incorporate it into the classroom? Make sure to leave a comment, I'd love to hear your opinion on the topic!

If you do teach it, or if you like to expose your students to a little cursive writing, I have created some cursive alphabet posters and cursive alphabet lines. It's always great to have a visual in the classroom!

The cursive alphabet lines are great for older students who no longer need the visual cues of pictures and may benefit from the large font, as it allows them to focus on letter formation.

Each pack contains a student picture alphabet, for any students who may be struggling, or just *really* interested in practicing.

And now I'm off to enjoy my last few days of summer before the school year begins!
Have a great long weekend!