Reading with Mrs. D: 14 Reasons Teachers LOVE Cursive

Do Teachers LOVE Cursive?

It turns out, a lot of us do!

This series:
SURVEY
Part One: Why Teachers Hate Cursive
Part Two: Why Teachers Love Cursive
Part Three: Old and New Ways to Teach Cursive

On March 5th I posted a Survey asking what other teachers thought about cursive writing. I received an OVERWHELMING response from you.
I was expecting maybe 25 or 50 responses, but I received WELL over the 100 responses you can access as part of your free membership to surveymonkey.

SO the results I will be sharing with you represent ONLY those first 100 responses. So I'm sorry if you do you see your responses shared.

This second post in the series shares the reasons you gave me for why you like cursive or feel it needs to be taught in our schools.

Here are the results of the next THREE questions (for questions 1 and 2, see Part One linked above)

50% of teachers say teaching cursive is not required in their schools.

69% of teachers say cursive is taught in grade 3 in their school.

25% of teachers say there is a teacher in their school teaching cursive who is not required to.

Here's a sampling of the responses from where you were asked to provide more information:

14 Reasons Teachers LOVE Cursive Writing (or why they do)

1. To help them develop a signature.

2. I decided to teach it because no other grade was teaching it.

3. There are a few teachers who highly value it, therefore make time to teach it.

4. Enough people still use it that it will be helpful for kids to be able to read it.

5. Research has shared that teaching cursive can help students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other disabilities.

6. I find that for those students that have horrible print writing in cursive makes their writing more legible.

7. I feel that it is important to teach cursive, not necessarily so they can write in cursive, but so they can read it. Most of the important documents from our nations found, as well as historical documents around the world, were written in cursive. I think that if our students get through their basic education and find themselves unable to read the Bill of Rights in its original format, we've done them a disservice.

8. I encounter more and more adults with poor handwriting now than I have ever seen before. Good penmanship is a skill that is vital to our students when they begin applying for jobs.

9. Our school strives to provide opportunities that are not given at other schools. Cursive writing is one of those opportunities.

10. We use it as a motivator. If your printing is legible, spacing is correct, letter size and formation are adequate ......we teach the class your name.

11. The OT in my building encourages us to teach cursive for fine motor development.

12. Cursive was just mandated in my district because high school teachers were complaining that their students could not read it or write fast enough notes.

13. Here's what I tell my students: *It's a lost art *How are you going to sign a check, mortgage papers, or any other legal document if you're never taught? *How are you going to read documents like the Constitution? Or a letter from Grandmother?

14. I think cursive is a lifesaver for kids with fine motor skill issues. They struggle less because they don't have to lift their pencil as much. Most of.my kids with sloppy print have beautiful cursive and it is a huge confidence builder.

I think the PRO Cursive Writing Camp Wins this debate!

Do you LOVE Cursive Writing?
Please comment below!

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Interested in more results from the survey? Make sure you subscribe to make sure you don't miss the rest of the series!

Want to find awesome resources for your Early Childhood Education classroom? Visit Reading With Mrs. D on Teachers Pay Teachers.