To Write or Not to Write...

...in Cursive?

“My friends,” (If I may snag that famous,cheesy pumper upper of Senator John McCain's), this is the question of the day! This is also a question that was tossed out by my friends at Fox News-Brian, Steve and Lady Gretchen -a couple days ago. A question that’s been brewing slowly at the back of my mind for quite sometime. And if you are a parent of an elementary school age child, I’m sure you’ve given this question some thought at some point…at least, once or twice. I don’t know about you, my friends; but, my opinion on this subject of teaching penmanship in schools is pretty darn simple...

Methinks cursive writing serves no functional purpose in the real world as we know it. Full stop!

In my household, any homework that entails or requires the use of cursive writing is often a great source of anxiety and frustration for my 4th grader…who by the way (just the other day) blurted, “If cursive writing is so important, how come books are not written in cursive?” Well, ladies and gentlemen, boys and gals, there you have it! Right out of the horse's mouth, I might add.

So, I’d say, teach kids how to write or print neatly. Teach them -for the love of mother Teresa-how NOT, I repeat, how NOT to scribble like Doctors. Heck, teach them how to type sixty-words-per-minute (60wpm) for all I care, for that is one lifelong practical skill they could always use. But please, kick cursive writing and all assignments that require my kid to grudgingly spend an hour writing twenty words, three times in cursive, straight to the curb, next to that huge pile of dog s.h.i.t!