[SENco-forum] Handwriting

not 1897 (or even 1987), why are we placing so much emphasis on

I am with Jamie on this, schools and exam boards do need to look again at
their out of date policies.  

My eldest daughter has struggled with handwriting all through secondary but
because she was not "Special Needs" was not permitted to use any ICT support
in her exams, even though all her course work was done on computer.  When I
asked for to be considered for use of laptop the school put her through a
typing test only to tell us afterwards that it was too late to submit the
request to the relevant exam board and they didn't feel she "was bad enough"
to warrant ICT exam support.

My middle daughter is dyslexic and we bought her a DANA after discussing
this with her form tutor, BUT after a week's use she was "persuaded" by
teachers who clearly didn't want her typing in their lessons that she would
never learn to handwrite if she used "that thing". To me it was more about
control by individual class teachers than any real desire to meet the
child's needs.

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of
jeanld at fish.co.uk
Sent: 23 July 2007 16:25
To: Jamie Munro
Cc: Becta Senco
Subject: Re: [SENco-forum] Handwriting

As far as I am aware, public exams, such as GCSE and A Levels still have
to be handwritten and some jobs still expect that application forms will
be filled in by hand.  In both instances, it is necessary for those
reading the scripts to be able to read legible handwriting.

Also, most of the children that I have taught who do have difficulties
with their handwriting really do want to improve it.  Talking to them
about using IT etc is all very well, but their faces show their true
feelings when they have produced a piece of well-formed, legible writing. 
Perhaps it is because our writing is something intensely personal, created
by us and unlike anyone else's.  Having said that, mine and my daughter's
handwriting is so alike that it's spooky and my sister's can also be
mistaken for mine at a glance!

Regards

Jean

S Wales

 I feel I've wandered into a discussion from a previous century.  It's 2007
> not 1897 (or even 1987), why are we placing so much emphasis on
> handwriting
> when a lot of us not in school simply don't do it at all any more.  The
> only
> handwriting I ever do is writing cheques, and chip and pin have seen to
> most
> of that.  Oh, maybe the odd shopping list that only I will read.
>
> I'm communicating this by email, over the weekend I communicated with my
> local council via their web site, wrote a letter to my local newspaper via
> email.  In meetings I take notes using a laptop, I write appointments in
> my
> electronic diary on my mobile phone/PDA.
>
> An essay in flowing cursive deserves an exam grade better than one in
> print?
> Bizarre and grossly unfair!
>
> Jamie
>
>
>> From: <SEN at tringham.net>
>> Reply-To: <SEN at tringham.net>
>> Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:30:33 +0100
>> To: Sharon Fawcitt <sfawcitt at dsl.pipex.com>, Becta Senco
>> <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
>> Subject: RE: [SENco-forum] Handwriting
>>
>> Those who are adamant they do not need to change - style or speed are
>> the
>> most resistant so it has to be student choice.  I tell them the facts -
>> print essays while equal in speed are likely to be marked down by one
>> exam
>> grade.  Untidy writing (2 comparable essays) was marked down 2 grades C
>> as
>> opposed to A.  My  11 year olds are not to worried by this as GCSE's are
>> not
>> for another 5 years.  As teachers we should be really worried.  For the
>> students I am dealing with this is going to be the difference between a
>> GSCE
>> pass and fail and this needs addressing.  The biggest question for me is
>> when is the best time to tackle the current handwriting problems -
>> Reception
>> or  KS2.  Secondary students are going to have acquired habits that are
>> really hard to influence positively.
>
>
>
>
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