Why should we care about teaching cursive handwriting to our children?
“Once upon a time, becoming proficient in penmanship, as well as learning to write sentences in cursive, was an important and mandated skill developed by every elementary student. Writing in cursive was not
only perceived as an art form, but also as demonstrative of a proper education.” (Foreword, Dr. James Trifone)
Today, unless you are a K-9 teacher, you probably are not aware that cursive instruction is no longer part of the child’s day in the classroom.
Does it really matter? In this exhaustively-researched study, Celia M. Batan pursued this question and reveals what could be lost to children-- and what is harnessed by the ‘cognitive workout’ that joining letters triggers—by returning to cursive instruction in the elementary grades and continuing the use of joined letters throughout high school.
Cursive handwriting shapes the executive functions of the brain for successful academic performance while enhancing creative and critical thinking practices required for meaningful interpretations of what we see. Even more compelling is how handwriting instruction influences neuroplasticity of the brain and contributes to character development and psychological healing.
Ms. Batan demonstrates convincingly that cursive is about much more than beautiful penmanship.
Drawing on studies from the diverse fields of neuroscience, physiology, and education, she reveals how cursive makes significant contributions to reading, writing, language and overall cognitive development in early childhood.
Kinetic melody. Embodied cognition. Persistence. Self-restraint. Writing fluency. Joining letters to form a word. Academic success. She asks: are you ready to initiate your own Two-Digit Revolution?
Includes Supportive Resources:
--Teacher Survey Results
--Extensive Resource List
About the Author
Celia M. Batan, BA MA CPC
Celia M. Batan believes that each classroom is an integral part of her role as educator who assists students in carving out the story of a course syllabus, knowing that the story is theirs, not the teacher’s.
Ms. Batan’s undergraduate degree is in Social Sciences, majoring in Psychology, from the University of the Philippines. Her graduate degree is in Learning and Thinking from The Graduate Institute in Bethany, CT. She also holds a Certificate in Training and Development from New York University. Ms. Batan is certified to teach adult programs in the State of Connecticut and holds TESOL certifications to teach ESL and TESOL Business English.
Every year Ms. Batan enjoys several teaching positions in counties of Fairfield and New Haven, Connecticut. She considers herself fortunate in carrying yearly course loads in a variety of fields: Instructor, YALE English Language Institute Summer University Preparation Program; Adjunct Instructor, Extended Studies and Workforce Education, Norwalk Community College; ESL Advisor and Instructor, Building1Community (immigrant center) Stamford; Assistant Instructor, Aikido Martial Arts (Aikido of Fairfield County), University of Connecticut Stamford; Music Instructor, Gregorian Chants and Liturgy, Convent for an order of nuns.
Ms. Batan’s professional background is in instructional design of communication skills training programs. She enjoys martial arts practice of Aikido, Iaido, Arnis/Escrima, as well as the art of Ikebana floral arrangement.
Ms. Batan’s community service includes volunteering for various programs in the City of Stamford: assisting Stamford Public School’s Board of Education on reinstatement of cursive writing in the primary grades, teaching ESL at Building1Community immigrant center in Stamford, presenting Philippine culture at Dolan Middle School’s annual diversity program, welcoming patrons for Palace Theatre shows, and High Mass choir singing at the Basilica in Stamford.
Each year it is with pleasure that Ms. Batan looks forward to evolving teaching methods for each of her course assignments, integrating study skills of note-taking with basic brain-mapping techniques in the mode of cursive writing.
