Writing...it's overrated

When my youngest showed me the handwriting that he was doing at school, I was astonished….frankly surprised that he could write like this.  Back in London we'd only learnt a few Czech letters (thanks to our lovely Czech teacher) and now he was joining them up and writing sentences. I was amazed.

Imagine my further astonishment and surprise when he told me it was wrong.

Wrong I said? WRONG….???    (poor kid was wishing he’d never said anything)

Yes mummy, I’m not doing it properly.

What do you mean you’re not doing it properly, it’s lovely?!!

Then he showed me his other writing book.  

It was all here in black and white, or rather in red ink  

To further hammer in the point, the teacher called me over and told me in no such words that he was moving his hand at the wrong angle when he wrote...

In fact both kids teachers have noticed that my kids don’t hold their pens properly or at the right angle – who knew?!

The point though, is what’s the point?

           

It seems kind of draconian to spend all this time on handwriting and perfecting this script when we live in a computer age?  

Apparently there is some movement to change the curriculum to reflect this - but I don't think it'll be happening any time soon, and certaintly not in the time that my kids are at school here.

One thing I do appreciate though, I suppose on reflection, is being told.  In the UK teachers don't tell you anything until parents evening, months after a problem arises. In fact everything is wrapped up in nice gooey words to make you feel good as a parent, 'she/ he is doing well/ excellent/ good job, he/she is slight above average/above average/ higher than average/ (delete as applicable).

There's no such fluff here.  Kids are scored on their work.  Every day.
1 for high - 5 for low... you know exactly how your kid is performing.  And if you still don't get it, the teacher will come up to you and tell you.

Eeeeeeek.