Some schools do a little. My daughter's school uses No Red Ink, but it's not enough. I don't understand why schools don't teach cursive anymore. I guess I am old.
Lucy Calkins and similar progressive educators whose methods have been adopted across the country for teaching reading and writing. In their workshop/whole learning philosophies, children are the drivers of their learning, children's interests determine the books they read and their levels, and their rate of progress. Teachers don't have time, training or knowledge to implement phonics, grammar, spelling, handwriting.
Yes. "Writers workshop". I really hate it, it's lazy and then at a certain age, the teachers start complaining that the kids don't understand tone or basic grammar rules and you end up hiring a tutor to fill in the gaps. It's a ridiculously lazy way of teaching writing.
This piece perfectly explains the problems with writer's workshop. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/09/how-self-expression-damaged-my-students/262656/ It's old, but someone shared it with me when I first expressed frustration with our school's method of "teaching" writing. Our school does teach spelling, but it's in a really haphazard method. I've been waiting for grammar instruction, but fear it will never come. We've enrolled dc in private tutoring after the teacher started grading him poorly due to grammar mistakes - really frustrating considering the school never taught any grammar!
my kids were taught spelling since at least 2d grade if not before, and grammar to a greater or lesser extent in high school. I do not recall being directly taught grammar either and I'm in my 50's.
I teach in a title one school. I was told we don’t teach grammar because it’s not really on the state test. Also the grammar portion for written expression is not many points on the state test. They mainly grade for content.
The Writers' Workshop model is currently the writing curriculum used by schools in NY (public and private), This curriculum does not teach grammar expressly because the focus is on building writing skills broadly. Kids learn grammar in the course of writing.
Is this the case? My DC's school teaches grammar starting with the basics in K, spelling starting in K, and cursive starting in third grade. Very republican town. I guess they're "old school."
I don't know but it drives me crazy. My kid is considered a good writer (which she might be in terms of having good ideas and attempting to get them down in a sophisticated writing style), but she could improve so much with grammar lessons. Their idea of teaching grammar is to give her increasing more sophisticated writing samples, and telling her to imitate them. She's just supposed to absorb it naturally without direct instruction? Weirdly, they do teach cursive and spelling, just not grammar.
Ah, you're making me appreciate my son's 2nd grade teacher who hands out good ol' worksheets and makes the kids insert commas in the correct place. Nice little lesson on the Oxford comma.
Kind of baffled how many here claim learning to write cursive is useless. The positive effects of cursive handwriting on brain development have been documented for years now.
I fully believe they should teach all three - cursive, spelling and grammar. DC is in 7th, in a more traditional MS and now all of a sudden being tested on grammar. She still doesn't know what a verb is, let alone the difference between an adverb and an adjective. It's maddening.
They also don't teach spelling or cursive. Blame the internet.
cursive is entirely useless at this point, but there is value in spelling and even more in grammar.
Huh, not my children's school. They have to write only in grammar after 3rd grade.
In CA we still do cursive and spelling tests.
Why did schools stop teaching grammar? Why do you think that's the case?
Some schools do a little. My daughter's school uses No Red Ink, but it's not enough. I don't understand why schools don't teach cursive anymore. I guess I am old.
what do you use cursive for? signing your name? doesnt need it.
@Anonymous I said I was old! LOL!
Lucy Calkins and similar progressive educators whose methods have been adopted across the country for teaching reading and writing. In their workshop/whole learning philosophies, children are the drivers of their learning, children's interests determine the books they read and their levels, and their rate of progress. Teachers don't have time, training or knowledge to implement phonics, grammar, spelling, handwriting.
Yes. "Writers workshop". I really hate it, it's lazy and then at a certain age, the teachers start complaining that the kids don't understand tone or basic grammar rules and you end up hiring a tutor to fill in the gaps. It's a ridiculously lazy way of teaching writing.
This piece perfectly explains the problems with writer's workshop. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/09/how-self-expression-damaged-my-students/262656/ It's old, but someone shared it with me when I first expressed frustration with our school's method of "teaching" writing. Our school does teach spelling, but it's in a really haphazard method. I've been waiting for grammar instruction, but fear it will never come. We've enrolled dc in private tutoring after the teacher started grading him poorly due to grammar mistakes - really frustrating considering the school never taught any grammar!
@Anonymous Any suggestions on where to find a good writing tutor?
my kids were taught spelling since at least 2d grade if not before, and grammar to a greater or lesser extent in high school. I do not recall being directly taught grammar either and I'm in my 50's.
I teach in a title one school. I was told we don’t teach grammar because it’s not really on the state test. Also the grammar portion for written expression is not many points on the state test. They mainly grade for content.
That is so sad.
The Writers' Workshop model is currently the writing curriculum used by schools in NY (public and private), This curriculum does not teach grammar expressly because the focus is on building writing skills broadly. Kids learn grammar in the course of writing.
Is this the case? My DC's school teaches grammar starting with the basics in K, spelling starting in K, and cursive starting in third grade. Very republican town. I guess they're "old school."
I don't know but it drives me crazy. My kid is considered a good writer (which she might be in terms of having good ideas and attempting to get them down in a sophisticated writing style), but she could improve so much with grammar lessons. Their idea of teaching grammar is to give her increasing more sophisticated writing samples, and telling her to imitate them. She's just supposed to absorb it naturally without direct instruction? Weirdly, they do teach cursive and spelling, just not grammar.
Ah, you're making me appreciate my son's 2nd grade teacher who hands out good ol' worksheets and makes the kids insert commas in the correct place. Nice little lesson on the Oxford comma.
Kind of baffled how many here claim learning to write cursive is useless. The positive effects of cursive handwriting on brain development have been documented for years now.
My childrens' schools ( NYC private and public) both teach spelling and grammar.
I fully believe they should teach all three - cursive, spelling and grammar. DC is in 7th, in a more traditional MS and now all of a sudden being tested on grammar. She still doesn't know what a verb is, let alone the difference between an adverb and an adjective. It's maddening.