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[quote=Anonymous][quote=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.
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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.  
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