FCPS handwriting and grammar

[Anonymous]

Is it true that FCPS students are not taught cursive handwriting anymore and they don't learn grammar until middle school?

[Anonymous]

DD learned cursive in a 3 week period at the end of 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Key boarding is a much more important skill to learn, so there is not much time devoted to cursive.. Both my boys had grammar in ES and cursive in 2nd and 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

True in our AAP center school.

[Anonymous]

My 6th grader is learning grammar.

[Anonymous]

4th grade teacher here.

Cursive is introduced in the 2nd grade Program of Studies and pacing and is continued in the 3rd grade POS. By 4th they should be practicing and using it. I can copy the specific indicator later. It is not an SOL objective. Grammar is taught, but most likely not in isolation. It is typically taught within the within the writing process. benchmarks and indicators vary by grade and I can copy some of those later when I get a chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Key boarding is a much more important skill to learn

Not true considering the fine motor skills developed by cursive, as well as the hand/brain connection. But people like to parrot the other belief.

[Anonymous]

My son is learning cursive now in 3rd grade at a center. I don't believe it's taught at our base school in gen ed or in local level IV. I think it varies from school to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Key boarding is a much more important skill to learn

Not true considering the fine motor skills developed by cursive, as well as the hand/brain connection. But people like to parrot the other belief.

Care to back that up with some links? Otherwise you are also a parrot.

[Anonymous]

My 2011 college grad was NEVER taught cursive in FCPS. He was taught keyboarding early. He can neither read nor write cursive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:4th grade teacher here.

Cursive is introduced in the 2nd grade Program of Studies and pacing and is continued in the 3rd grade POS. By 4th they should be practicing and using it. I can copy the specific indicator later. It is not an SOL objective. Grammar is taught, but most likely not in isolation. It is typically taught within the within the writing process. benchmarks and indicators vary by grade and I can copy some of those later when I get a chance.

Thanks for your post; that was very helpful information. Do you use a specific handwriting curriculum or style to teach cursive? I know my kids will need extra practice to form acceptable penmanship habits, so we will probably need to reinforce cursive instruction at home and I would want to be consistent with the school's style of instruction if possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 2011 college grad was NEVER taught cursive in FCPS. He was taught keyboarding early. He can neither read nor write cursive.

I think it's more likely that he never LEARNED cursive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:4th grade teacher here.

Cursive is introduced in the 2nd grade Program of Studies and pacing and is continued in the 3rd grade POS. By 4th they should be practicing and using it. I can copy the specific indicator later. It is not an SOL objective. Grammar is taught, but most likely not in isolation. It is typically taught within the within the writing process. benchmarks and indicators vary by grade and I can copy some of those later when I get a chance.

This is not reality AT ALL in my kids' FCPS school. There is no cursive at all in 2nd. My kid's 3rd grade teacher did a *little* cursive, but she told me that she was the only teacher of four 3rd grade teachers who taught it. In 4th grade, my child never uses it and is never expected to use it. Very minimal if any teaching of grammar so far in 4th grade. I believe it is an important skill -- it teaches kids fine motor skills and pushes them to think while they are writing.

I am very disappointed in the lack of cursive and grammar taught. They do a good job teaching kids about the thought process (planning ideas, etc.) in writing, but not so much on the actual writing. I wish they would bring back those spelling/grammar books we had as kids. In the past, I've purchased the Handwriting without Tears books on line and had my kids doing them over the summer. Looks like I'll be doing those again this summer with my rising 3rd grader and probably a grammar workbook this summer with my rising 5th grader. I feel like the schools have gone too far away from the drills --- so much so that I've had to do a lot during the summer to make up for the lack of basic handwriting, grammar, and computation work in school. School is heavy on the "why" thinking and light on the "do it" work.

[Anonymous]

At our FCPS school, our daughter did a little cursive in third grade, but not much. She is in fourth grade now and I don't think I've seen any grammar. I vaguely remember seeing something about adjectives and nouns, but nothing much really. Like the PP we purchased the Handwriting Without Tears books. I'm worried I'm "too late" with my oldest as far as her cursive and printing go, but I'm working on my younger ones. My oldest was never taught the proper strokes when printing. I think some places (like Catholic schools) put way too much of an emphasis on handwriting and cursive but I wish she had a little more instruction.

[Anonymous]

I think it's more likely that he never LEARNED cursive.

Well. There was never a grade and never a worksheet. I volunteered in the classroom. Never taught.