[SENco-forum] Handwriting

From: <jeanld at fish.co.uk>

But that's my point.  We teach children to produce neat cursive handwriting
for those who set public examinations.  Not because it has a use in the
workplace, not because of any educational benefit, but what seems to be a
purely arbitrary reason.

As for filling in forms, I never come across one that doesn't insist that it
is written in block capitals or print and these are types of hand writing
that are being actively discouraged because "print essays while equal in
speed are likely to be marked down by one exam grade."

The faces of struggling writers show the same triumph when they have
produced a piece of work using a computer too.

I certainly don't feel like I have lost a valuable piece of myself by not
doing hand writing.

Jamie

> From: <jeanld at fish.co.uk>
> Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:24:55 +0100 (BST)
> To: Jamie Munro <jmunro at djsn.co.uk>
> Cc: <sen at tringham.net>, Sharon Fawcitt <sfawcitt at dsl.pipex.com>, Becta Senco
> <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
> 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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>> 
> 
> 
> 