Oh, good heavens, of COURSE! Though I had no understanding of it when we brought our daughters to a K-5th grade Montessori program in the early 1990s, I've since become a complete convert: All children learned to write "cursive" before they learned to print.
This seemed crazy at the time, but over time we could see how sensible they were. Cursive is more natural to the hand and actually easier to write. They started with sandpaper letters as toddlers.
Kids worked hard on their penmanship because they were rewarded with a fountain pen for their success. (Imagine that!) I'd love to pull true Montessorians into this conversation and better yet bring their world views into curriculum development for more classrooms in more public schools everywhere.
I’m so happy to find this article and agree with your assertions completely. As someone whose mission is to encourage and inspire others to write more heartspoken notes, I find it crucial that we start with our children by teaching them well, being good role models, and injecting elements of fun and satisfaction into their handwriting practice. Here in the U.S., it looked like we were going to lose the teaching of cursive in our public schools, but thankfully, that tide is beginning to turn as educators realize the hidden benefits of handwriting for children.
Oh, good heavens, of COURSE! Though I had no understanding of it when we brought our daughters to a K-5th grade Montessori program in the early 1990s, I've since become a complete convert: All children learned to write "cursive" before they learned to print.
This seemed crazy at the time, but over time we could see how sensible they were. Cursive is more natural to the hand and actually easier to write. They started with sandpaper letters as toddlers.
Kids worked hard on their penmanship because they were rewarded with a fountain pen for their success. (Imagine that!) I'd love to pull true Montessorians into this conversation and better yet bring their world views into curriculum development for more classrooms in more public schools everywhere.
Your kids have been very lucky!!
And yes, this is the way it should be done everywhere.
I’m so happy to find this article and agree with your assertions completely. As someone whose mission is to encourage and inspire others to write more heartspoken notes, I find it crucial that we start with our children by teaching them well, being good role models, and injecting elements of fun and satisfaction into their handwriting practice. Here in the U.S., it looked like we were going to lose the teaching of cursive in our public schools, but thankfully, that tide is beginning to turn as educators realize the hidden benefits of handwriting for children.