How much 3rd grade writing and partial vent....

[CountryGirlShake]

So we are in a Charter and for a couple reasons need to remain linked to a public school, for now. DS8 is in 3rd grade, however most of our curriculum is BJU4.

 

At our teacher meeting this week, we turned in samples of work, including some really nice paragraphs, which we were quite proud of as DS is a reluctant writer.  We have worked really hard to encourage writing, building paragraphs etc.  

 

So, I thought that the teacher would thrilled with the progress DS made, as I was. I had many writing samples to show her.  While she did like them, she in turn told me to not have him write anymore (in the sense of handwriting, pen to paper) but to have him now type his work directly on the computer. 

 

Excuse me!? 

 

I replied that I still want him to write on paper. We both know he has struggled with that. He is not ready to not have no handwriting assignments.

 

She told me that to be ready for 'spring testing' aka common core test, that he needs to put thoughts directly on the computer, not on paper.  

 

OMG.

 

For one, I am opting out of 'spring testing'.

 

For two, he is 8 years old. 3rd grade. I will teach him how to write on paper, and he will learn cursive also.

 

2 things it sounds like public school does not teach.

 

He will have handwritten assignments. He is learning how to type, but I will not make that his sole way to express words.

 

Thank you for listening :)

 

 

 

 

[almondbutterandjelly]

Good for you!  My dd is in private school this year, and she has learned that many of her friends cannot read cursive, much less write it.  

 

Cursive makes connections in the brain in the way that printing does not.  It can be crucial for some kids to have those made and reinforced cross-hemisphere connections.  Dropping it from school curriculum is a terrible idea, IMO.

[hjffkj]

A 3rd grader doing all his writing assignments directly on the computer sounds insane. I get doing some of them on it I guess but all of them, no way.

[CountryGirlShake]

Good for you!  My dd is in private school this year, and she has learned that many of her friends cannot read cursive, much less write it.  

 

Cursive makes connections in the brain in the way that printing does not.  It can be crucial for some kids to have those made and reinforced cross-hemisphere connections.  Dropping it from school curriculum is a terrible idea, IMO.

I agree that dropping it is a terrible idea. I learned in 1st grade, Montessori.  I have not forced my son to learn it, he wants to, just slower than I did. It's more fun when it is his idea ;)

 

A 3rd grader doing all his writing assignments directly on the computer sounds insane. I get doing some of them on it I guess but all of them, no way.

Agree, I can see some typing, but did not agree with all of the assignments typed.  :)

[Arcadia]

  While she did like them, she in turn told me to not have him write anymore (in the sense of handwriting, pen to paper) but to have him now type his work directly on the computer. 

.......

 

She told me that to be ready for 'spring testing' aka common core test, that he needs to put thoughts directly on the computer, not on paper.  

 

The teacher is being too "square".  My district still ask the students to write. Even the 5th grade science fair projects can be handwritten or type depending on what the student prefers.   Typing is already covered under the IT/Technology standards since Kindergarten and kids have 1.5 hour a week in school to do that at the school's computer labs. The public school kids also have an ALEKS math session once a week long before common core.   

My district drop cursive long before common core (they do have a high percentage of ESL at some of the K-5 schools).  My kids were with K12 VA and they did cursive in 3rd grade using 3th and 4th grade HWOT cursive supplied by the K12 VA. 

[blondeviolin]

My 8yo niece has nearly all of her homework on the computer. My oldest just this year received some computer work: Teaching Textbooks (and still had a workbook component) and Keyboarding Without Tears.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

No way.  My 8 yo has just started learning cursive this year, and halfway through the year, I will transition to making his assignments in cursive and not print.  I don't care what the common core says.  What track record do they have?  I don't plan to have my son do assignments on the computer until 5th grade or so.  He gets plenty of interaction with technology already.  Steve Jobs and many high tech power players send their kids to low-tech schools, and I plan to keep computer-based assignments out of grammar school.  They will have plenty of time to learn to type and do computer based assignments in jr. high and up.  I won't even do curriculum that is more computer based.  I don't want school eating up all of his screen time until he has none left for fun.  There are scores of studies showing the importance of handwriting and the effects of too much screen time.  I'd show her some of those if she pushed me, and I would not back down on that.  Now, I will say that my son can be reluctant to write too long with cramps in his hand, etc., and I will help him through that. Sometimes, I may do oral work with him instead.  But it's not going to get any better if I sit him in front of a computer.

 

Just my $.02, but good for you for standing your ground.  You should feel proud of your child's accomplishments and forget what this evaluator says.  

[CountryGirlShake]

No way.  My 8 yo has just started learning cursive this year, and halfway through the year, I will transition to making his assignments in cursive and not print.  I don't care what the common core says.  What track record do they have?  I don't plan to have my son do assignments on the computer until 5th grade or so.  He gets plenty of interaction with technology already.  Steve Jobs and many high tech power players send their kids to low-tech schools, and I plan to keep computer-based assignments out of grammar school.  They will have plenty of time to learn to type and do computer based assignments in jr. high and up.  I won't even do curriculum that is more computer based.  I don't want school eating up all of his screen time until he has none left for fun.  There are scores of studies showing the importance of handwriting and the effects of too much screen time.  I'd show her some of those if she pushed me, and I would not back down on that.  Now, I will say that my son can be reluctant to write too long with cramps in his hand, etc., and I will help him through that. Sometimes, I may do oral work with him instead.  But it's not going to get any better if I sit him in front of a computer.

 

Just my $.02, but good for you for standing your ground.  You should feel proud of your child's accomplishments and forget what this evaluator says.  

Sounds like we have the same thoughts, and similar sons :) 

[Roadrunner]

We are doing both. While we still do plenty of handwritten assignments, including working in our cursive workbook, I am beginning to let my 4th grader type up multi paragraph work to make editing easier.

My 3rd grader can't type well yet.

I am sorry your ES isn't more flexible.

[jer2911mom]

We are doing both as well.  I have my dd hand write her drafts and make her revisions and do her proofreading on those, and then I have her type the final copy to give her some typing practice.  This seems to work well and keeps her from having to write out all the drafts.

 

Kathy

[pitterpatter]

As much as I use the computer, I would not be able to stand doing every little thing on it. Too much computer time makes me antsy, which DH and I call "bad energy."  And, many things are way easier and quicker to do off the computer. Ugh. I would not like that at all.

[Wheres Toto]

We are doing both. While we still do plenty of handwritten assignments, including working in our cursive workbook, I am beginning to let my 4th grader type up multi paragraph work to make editing easier.

 

 

This is what we are doing for my son.