The triumphant return of the penmanship
Schoolchildren in Ontario will be taught to write the old-fashioned way.
Beginning in September, Ontario schools will begin writing in cursive again. It will be mandatory. Canadian schools have only taught cursive since 2006, but cursive has had its advantages.
Educators believe that writing in capital letters teaches children accuracy, critical thinking, and a desire for beauty. It also helps students develop their own unique handwriting, which helps them express themselves.
Canadians use capital letters quite often in adulthood, so mastering this type of writing will help students after they graduate from high school.
Ontario is serious about devoting more time to the most basic skills: reading, writing, speaking and pronunciation. Schools will use the aural method of literacy teaching: It is based on establishing the connection between the sound of a syllable and its spelling. Teachers want to develop literacy in children this way. But the aural method is more suitable for languages with the "as you hear, so it is written" rule. English and French do not have that rule: there are many letter-combinations-exceptions. That is why some teachers doubt the success of the idea.
The Ontario Teachers' Union is not happy with the deadline given to introduce the new subject. It's due in September, and teachers are worried they won't have time to prepare the materials. Of course, they know how to write in capital letters, but most of them have never taught it to children. They don't know how to do it right.
Officials believe that the allotted time is quite enough. The Ministry of Education does not intend to postpone the innovations.
