LUCY BURDETTE: today we welcome back good friend Ang Pompano, who has a re-release of an excellent book, and as always, some comments on changes in the world…
ANG POMPANO: Thanks so much for inviting me back, Lucy. I always enjoy visiting with my Jungle Red friends.
Some of you may know the Peter Allen song “Everything Old Is New Again.” It’s not a new idea, Jonathan Swift was saying the same thing centuries ago. But it’s been on my mind lately, especially when I think about education.
I taught for thirty-five years. That’s long enough to watch trends sweep in with the next great idea, disappear when another idea comes around, and then, inevitably, return. Early in my schooling, I remember my second-grade teacher teaching us phonics from a book she kept hidden in an open drawer, ready to slide shut if the principal walked in. Phonics was out; whole language was in.
Fast-forward to my own classroom years later, and we were proudly teaching cursive writing with impunity. I don’t even remember whether I was taught the Palmer Method or not, but I do remember loving the feel of the pen in my hand and the way ink flowed as letters connected with loops and swirls. There was something satisfying about it. And I saw that same pride on my students’ faces when their handwriting finally “clicked.”
Then, toward the end of my career, the powers that be decided cursive was no longer necessary. Keyboards would take its place. Once again, veteran teachers found themselves doing what my second-grade teacher had done years earlier, quietly teaching cursive while keeping one eye on the door.
And now? Everything old is new again. Some states have begun reinstating cursive instruction, recognizing that penmanship teaches more than how to write pretty letters. It builds fine motor skills, strengthens hand–eye coordination, reinforces spelling and reading, improves memory and focus, and encourages patience and persistence. Skills that matter well beyond the page.
Speaking of things coming around again, I’m happy to share that my book Diet of Death has been rereleased, ahead of its follow-up, Simmering Secrets, which will be out next year. Proof that even in mystery writing, everything old is new again. Readers, what do you think? Should penmanship be taught again?
How exciting that "Diet of Death" will be re-released . . . lots of new readers are sure to discover your wonderful book.
ReplyDeleteDo I think penmanship/cursive handwriting should be taught? Most definitely [and so should phonics . . . cheers to your teacher who saw the importance and taught what she knew her students needed to learn]. Everything old may become new again, but there are some things [especially in education] that should never be allowed to slip away . . . .
Nope to penmanship! It is an art form and as a non-artist my version of cursive, caused me to get Ds in spelling in 3rd and 4th grade after As and Bs in 1st and 2nd. Half of our spelling grade in 3rd and 4th was for cursive writing. My fingers just did not do graceful curves. Writing cursive always left me feeling the same clunky awkward ugly duckling way as ballet classes did. Thank goodness in 5th grade spelling grades went back to be for the correctness of the letters not their beauty. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteThat's a difficulte story Elisabeth! Things are hard enough when we're young...
DeleteI had similar struggles, Elisabeth. I have a vivid memory of being in around third grade and the rest of the class was doing math but the teacher had me just working on penmanship, saying, "I know you already know this math. Just keep practicing your writing, dear." The thing is, no matter how much I practiced it never got much better. I suspect in today's world I would have been diagnosed with some kind of small muscle coordination issue. I could never write very legibly, and could never master skills like crochet or embroidery or painting.
DeleteElisabeth, I’m truly sorry the system failed you. I don’t know where or when you were in school, but I want to believe that an experience like that wouldn’t happen today. Teachers have always worked incredibly hard, and still do, but that’s exactly why methods evolve. Teaching is an art, not a science, and sometimes it takes time to recognize when the focus has drifted away from what truly matters. If you’d care to send me your contact information, I’d love to send you a copy of Diet of Death, a small gesture of thanks for such a meaningful comment.
DeleteThank you, Lucy and Susan, for understanding. Susan, needlework also escaped me, until my late 20s when needlepoint embraced me…I was not particularly skilled but I loved the rhythm and the counting of stitches and the magic of a picture appearing from so many small stitches. Elisabeth
DeleteJust one more thing. I don’t remember having trouble reading cursive just writing it. Then again I have no memory of learning to read, long before I arrived in school. Elisabeth
DeleteAng, thank you. Third grade was 70 years ago and in CT. I liked my teachers and they were good teachers. In fact the fourth grade teacher, all I remember Mr. Cronesomething, used to mark my spelling grade separately from the penmanship grade and almost always added, “Fifth grade is only a few months more!” Elisabeth
DeleteSorry to run on so, but that great 4th grade teacher was the first male teacher I ever had (remember when men didn’t teach in elementary school, Ang). I announced to my parents, the first day of school as I boarded the bus, “If I get THAT MAN, I’m NEVER going back to school.” What a blessing that I went back the next day. He taught us so much more than spelling and arithmetic…and how to jump rope…double Dutch solo…he really got us to learn. Elisabeth
DeleteAnd congratulations on your old is new again release! Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteEverything had to be printed in my engineering classes, and I never looked back. But I have no problem with cursive being taught. My mom had beautiful handwriting, thanks to the nuns who taught her.
ReplyDeleteLisa, ah yes, those sweet nuns and their Palmer Method turned out students with such beautiful handwriting. Cursive was more than just nice writing; it taught discipline, patience, and obedience.
DeleteAng, hi! The cover for Diet of Death is beautiful, is it a new cover? Congratulations on its re-release.I haven't read it yet. Did you revise the book or is it the same as the original?
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to realize that cursive writing wasn't being taught any more when my son was in school. It does teach a kind of coordination that helps with other types of learning and it provides a basis for reading script written by others. So I see value in it being part of the curriculum. As a former Special Education teacher, I know that most students can learn to read and to write, but each person may need a different approach. So throwing one method away and forbidding its use is foolish at best. Even in a class with a normal range of skills, students should be provided with more ammunition for attacking new words.
I'm a great believer in the value of cursive for all the reasons listed by Ang Pompano. Additionally it's just more legible than what is written in printed form. I'm a retired teacher and I taught older grades, and their work was often hard to read and often misspelled. I'm sorry Elisabeth had a teacher who made handwriting part of her spelling grade. The only value in writing spelling words repeatedly is to practice spelling them correctly, which is the only thing that should be graded.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I want to read your books (a new discovery for me.)
Elizabeth, the one with s not z here. The grading for spelling was SCHOOL requirement, not an individual teacher. Third grade was 72 years ago for me. Elisabeth
DeleteWhat a strange school requirement. As I said earlier, I'm sorry you had such an experience. As a student, it would have soured me on spelling, or handwriting, or both.
DeleteI'm a big proponent of handwriting, Ang. I read about a cursive club some high school students formed, so they could learn and practice. Also, you can't use AI when you're writing by hand.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book! It's a great cover - who is rereleasing it?
Both my sons - 37 and 39 - were taught cursive, and the flow of connected letters really helped the older one, who didn't have great fine motor control at the time.
DeleteCongrats on your book being re-released.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you here, Ang! Did you teach elementary level?
ReplyDeleteWhen my millennial daughters were in their primary years our school district taught the D'Nealian method of cursive: slanted letters joined with a curlicue of sorts. They spent hours practicing in workbooks.
My grandson, now about to turn 21, was not taught cursive, but he taught himself, using the standard classroom banners of the printed and cursive alphabet around the walls in his first or second grade class. I can't say he has the best handwriting, but at least he can read other's writing.
Last year I was watching a family member's daughter-in-law unwrap her baby shower gifts. She got to mine, and opened the card, preparing to read it aloud, as she had all the rest. But she just looked at it. I was sitting next to her best friend, who said, "Taylor can't read cursive." I was floored. Taylor is 32, and has a really good job at the bank, but cursive is like a foreign language to her.
Wow! that's astonishing Judy.
DeleteGood for Zac for teaching himself! I agree, it's shocking to find someone who can't read cursive. She'll never be a historian - my historian d-i-l is 36 and has read lots of primary sources, all written in cursive.
DeleteZak was already reading chapter books, so he kept himself busy while the other kids were still learning.
DeleteI was really shocked, that's the precise word, Edith. She is such an intelligent woman, and that seems like a major handicap.
Hi Ang, Congratulations on the re-release. I learned cursive as a child and liked some parts of it, although mine was pretty messy. Then we spent 6 months in the UK and they used an italic script that was sort of in between the two options of cursive and printing that we had learned here. My handwriting ended up closer to the italic--printed letters connected with each other. I do think we should teach some sort of penmanship in schools, for the reasons you cite. As an adult, I often take notes for meetings and find that I do a better job handwriting notes than if I try to take them on a computer. I type faster than I write, but I am focused on keeping up and correcting errors. Writing by hand makes me think and summarize the discussion as I go.
ReplyDeleteEdith Woo Hoo! Thank you thank you!
You're welcome - it's in the mail!
DeleteIn spite of my own struggles, mentioned in a comment above, I do think the ability to read cursive is important, and I suspect the only realistic way to learn that skill is to learn to write it. I just hope today's world has a little more mercy for those who struggle with it. By about 5th grade I was typing all my papers for school. And in college, my notes were all printed, as I was unlikely to be able to read my own cursive when written as quickly as notetaking required. Actually, for my own notetaking purposes I had my own sort of hybrid printing/cursive thing. It looked awful, but I could reliably read it later.
ReplyDeleteI retired in May of 2025 after 38 years of teaching. Kids in Arkansas have been taught cursive for the last few years. I’m all for it! For children who use tablets so much, I think cursive is extremely beneficial. (So is using scissors.) My students were really proud of their cursive and enjoyed writing with it. It seemed “grown up” to them. I’m sorry to hear abt teachers in the past more concerned with the look of cursive than the content of students’ thoughts. Unfortunately there are always those who are misguided in their intentions. Since students use computers for high-stakes testing, teaching keyboarding is also a challenge for teachers and students. That’s a whole different set of skills. From Mignonne in Arkansas
ReplyDeleteMignonne (what a lovely name, by the way), I felt the same about sewing--so many home ec teachers insisted that beginners turn out pro-level garments that "look as good on the inside as they do on the outside" that it turned off an entire generation of would-be sewing enthusiasts. It galls me that so many have to pay someone to stitch a button for them, just because of impossibly perfectionist teachers in their past.
DeleteI believe both cursive and spelling should be taught in schools.
ReplyDeleteDianne Mahoney
I definitely believe cursive should be taught again! I have a young (40ish) friend who is a teacher and she’s been teaching cursive within other subjects for a couple of years now.
ReplyDeleteI think Edith makes a good point that many careers hinge on the person being able to read cursive from years gone by. I volunteer at the library with programs that focus on teaching fine motor skills to preschoolers and being able to at least print your letters takes a great deal of concentration on fine motor skills for these little dudes. Ditto using scissors, glue, etc. I also agree that teaching any form of penmanship is an excellent way of working on spelling, as well as honing concentration skills. -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteBig fan of learning cursive, for all the reasons mentioned here. Try doing genealogy without reading cursive! As a left-hander, learning to write anything--cursive or printed--required effort. Now I hand write in a mixture of the two and I have to slow way down when writing to make sure it's legible for others. Youngest nephews didn't learn cursive and their signatures prove it.
ReplyDelete