How Cursive Is Taught In France

[HDoug]

I haven't seen this posted here yet -- sorry if it's a repeat. An interesting video about how cursive is taught in France. Lucky kids! I'm curious about what our FPN educators think.

 

France -- Teaching Handwriting

 

Doug

 

Update of 12/09/2011: The above link may no longer work outside the UK for licensing reasons. I found another link that works in the US, or at least here in Honolulu: http://www.schoolsworld.tv/videos/france-teaching-handwriting

Edited December 10, 2011 by HDoug

[The Royal Pen]

Most interesting! Thank you for posting!

Edited December 21, 2010 by The Royal Pen

[Wickwack]

Thank you - that was fascinating. Makes me wish I went to school in France. When I was younger I had a French penpal for many years. I always admired her penmanship and how beautifully different it was. Now I know why.

 

** and she was from Lyons also!

Edited December 21, 2010 by Wickwack

[Journaleur]

Very interesting. Thank you. I wish I had this kind of education and training when I was in grade school.

[WontonST]

Very interesting video. If only American schools would devote the same amount of effort to handwriting. Then maybe there would be a lot less "illegible"s on returned assignments

[Gendo]

My college students were "sort of" taught cursive handwriting in grade school. Most of them print like first graders, though. I believe some research has been done that establishes a link between cursive handwriting and higher academic performance later in life, so it's disappointing that so few of them practice it. For my part, I have been pushing my students to re-learn cursive, and they actually seem to like it. (I also try to communicate the FP sickness to them too, of course.)

[Beechwood]

Thats a very nice link, whilst intended for Teachers, of interest to all.

[Ted H]

Handwriting seems to help with creativity and literacy. Possibly even executive control. Those kids seem pretty well behaved. It's also interesting that they begin to learn cursive in first grade.

[Fernan]

This is great.

 

There are studies that show that pupils who learn to write by hand have an advantage over pupils who don't develop an ability to write by hand.

 

Tracing a letter is not easy. It requires a high level of fine muscle control of the hand and the arm. The brain has to program this motor control. Youngsters practicing writing by hand program the shape of the letter in their brain. It is quite different than learning to type on a keyboard. Thus, kids learn to recognize letters more quickly, and develop better reading skills.

 

Shaping a letter is only the start. Learning to write is a long process. It takes years. It is one of the most complex learning processes of humankind. And it is closely related to power, in all forms. Has always been, ever since the invention of writing 51 centuries ago in what today is southern Iraq.

[mliptrot]

I haven't seen this posted here yet -- sorry if it's a repeat. An interesting video about how cursive is taught in France. Lucky kids! I'm curious about what our FPN educators think.

 

France -- Teaching Handwriting

 

Doug

 

 

Wow! As a French teacher who is about to start a calligraphy club after school in the new year, this is a bizarre fusion of my two worlds! Great to see some teaching techniques outside my 'comfort zone'.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Mark

[georges zaslavsky]

this vid remembered me my very early years at the primary school when I was 5. Ah sweet memories I think the method of teaching handwriting in France is good, a good and proper penmanship taught at school is something important. I always have a big pleasure when I write with any of my fps. Edited January 2, 2011 by georges zaslavsky

[Rena]

Thank you. I was very impressed with these teaching techniques, and liked how they also stressed enjoyment in the learning process.

[professionaldilettante]

Does anyone know the whole alphabet style that they used? It does look nice, but I would be hardpressed to find the whole thing printed somewhere.

[HDoug]

Just updating this link. At some time after I initially posted the link, the company lost its US rights so the link wouldn't play in the US. I searched around and found one that works -- at least here in Honolulu, Hawaii: http://www.schoolsworld.tv/videos/france-teaching-handwriting

 

Doug

[Manege Master]

Just updating this link. At some time after I initially posted the link, the company lost its US rights so the link wouldn't play in the US. I searched around and found one that works -- at least here in Honolulu, Hawaii: http://www.schoolsworld.tv/videos/france-teaching-handwriting

 

Doug

 

Thanks, Doug. I couldn't find anything on the earlier links but your latest works fine deep here in the heart of Texas.

 

Nice to watch these children discovering letter forms. Much like our mutual interests in fine writing instruments, writing well seems to be a disappearing art. I treated a client to dinner recently and brought out my fountain pen to sign the check. My client was amazed that anyone still uses fountain pens.

[Winchester]

Thank you - that was fascinating. Makes me wish I went to school in France. When I was younger I had a French penpal for many years. I always admired her penmanship and how beautifully different it was. Now I know why.

 

** and she was from Lyons also!

 

That's quite different from what my french coworker told me, she has really laid into the french educational system one time when we where talking about education in Finland while car pooling. She has very nice handwriting though. They obviously put more effort into handwriting than we do.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Winchester

[HDoug]

That's quite different from what my french coworker told me, she has really laid into the french educational system one time when we where talking about education in Finland while car pooling. She has very nice handwriting though. They obviously put more effort into handwriting than we do.

 

What I don't know from the video is if it represents the French national way of teaching or if this is some kind of special private school. It would be great if this were just plain ol' regular school that pays that much attention to the kids. The other thing I noticed was that all the teachers (and admin for that matter) were men. What's the deal with that, I wonder.

 

Doug

[LexieS]

This is great.

 

There are studies that show that pupils who learn to write by hand have an advantage over pupils who don't develop an ability to write by hand.

 

Tracing a letter is not easy. It requires a high level of fine muscle control of the hand and the arm. The brain has to program this motor control. Youngsters practicing writing by hand program the shape of the letter in their brain. It is quite different than learning to type on a keyboard. Thus, kids learn to recognize letters more quickly, and develop better reading skills.

 

 

As a high school teacher, I cannot agree more.

 

I remember, even as a very young child, my parents encouraging me to "write," doodle, and color. I think that because they encouraged me to work on my fine motor skills at an earlier age, it helped me excel when I got to school. To this day, I still get a lot of enjoyment out of writing, doodling, and coloring. I guess some things don't change.

[irish_monk]

Very interesting. I am an art teacher and I teach calligraphy to my students ( Uncial and Gothic). When I make comments on the back of students work (drawings, etc.) I write in cursive. Many of my students need me to translate it for them because they had very little handwriting training in elementary school. It was refreshing to see the interdisciplinary quality of handwriting education in France. In Ohio at least we talk a good game about interdisciplinary education but really don't follow through. I also appreciated the acknowledgment of craft, creativity, and expression, all things contemporary education in the US ignores or actively works against due to our relentless pursuit of test scores and evaluations in hope to define success and quality based on pieces of a pie chart.

[xxloverxx]

It's fascinating that the school places so much emphasis on writing. One thing that I do notice, though, is that most of them write with their fingers or wrists instead of their arms. Can't say whether that's good or bad — just something I noticed. Thanks for sharing!