Cursive Is Beautiful
Many government schools which have adopted Common Core, and even some private schools following their lead, have dropped cursive writing from their curriculum. This tragedy involves more than just penmanship. It affects how well students learn, think and write.
“Cursive writing helps train the brain to integrate visual, and tactile information, and fine motor dexterity,” states Dr. William Klemm of Psychology Today. “School systems, driven by ill-informed ideologues and federal mandate, are becoming obsessed with testing knowledge at the expense of training kids to develop better capacity for acquiring knowledge.”
Penmanship is a foundational skill which allows students to acquire skills and integrate knowledge in reading, spelling, composition, critical thinking and memory. Brain scans have shown that when students write in cursive they use both hemispheres of their brain and activate the regions involved
in thinking, language and working memory. Writing in print and typing do not have the same effects.
Studies in Psychological Science have shown that students who write their class notes by hand have a higher retention rate than those who type their notes; higher retention shortens the time needed to review for tests. Researchers have also found that students who learn and use cursive writing have higher grades and long-term academic success.
Writing in cursive is faster than printing. Students can get their ideas on the page more quickly and organize their thoughts. University admissions and Advanced Placement tests often require handwritten sections. The inability to write in cursive can seriously hamper a student’s success on these tests.
There is also a concrete value in knowing how to read cursive. Historic documents, like the Declaration in Independence and the United States Constitution, are written in cursive. The value is also practical. Most American adults write in cursive. The inability to read cursive will preclude employment at doctors’ offices or law firms. It is an essential communication tool.
Cursive is a beautiful and practical art. It is essential for students to learn it, use it and see its benefits.
Radical Old Ways To Educate
Below are highlights from Mrs. Jo Thoburn’s panel discussion on “Radical New Ways To Educate” from the FreedomFest conference held this month in Las Vegas.
Philosophically, little has changed at the Fairfax Christian School in the past fifty-three years. Our mission is to create scholars who seek the Truth. Our “tried and true” methods created a school where learning is the focus and goals are achieved. The Fairfax Christian School is a very traditional university-prep school.
A Fairfax Christian School education does not end with a diploma and an acceptance into a major university. Because our students are well prepared, they can fully apply their education in diverse environments and disciplines. That’s when our students can use the competitive advantages they have gained from their education and thrive.
A focused environment brings success. The campus and classrooms at Fairfax Christian School are designed to provide appropriate creative stimulation for students without distracting them from their studies.
Personal effects for both teachers and students are left at home. Classroom decorations are kept simple and humble to help focus students’ attention on learning. School uniforms and a conservative dress code eliminate distractions from the classroom. Students also develop confidence when they are well dressed. All of our students wear a blazer, our girls wear knee length skirts, and our boys wear ties on Fridays and for special events. Self-discipline is critical for sustaining progress and achieving big goals. By eliminating worldly distractions, students can focus on the topics at hand.
Teachers instruct. Our teachers are hired for their passion for teaching and for their ability to connect with the students. It is their responsibility to instruct and to work with the students through the learning process. Our teachers are there to stretch and refine the skill levels of each student, to encourage them to reach their highest goals and to inspire them to be independent learners.
Skills will last a lifetime. Whether a high precision skill like learning grammar rules, memorizing multiplication tables or studying the periodic table – or softer skills like playing in tune with the band, writing creatively or assessing a science experiment – a systematic formula of drill and application gives students a measurable foundation for their education.
Textbooks, whether paper or electronic, are a critical tool in systematic learning. Use of original source materials, whether books, news clippings, audio or video, is strongly encouraged to enhance the learning process. An organized scope and sequence with goals and standards gives the teachers and students a path to success.
At the Fairfax Christian School, we avoid “busy work.” Students drill until they master the curriculum, but they do not do work for the sake of doing it. Reading and writing assignments, studying for tests, watching lesson videos and completing any unfinished classwork are typical homework assignments for our students. Homework is not given on weekends or holidays and tests are not given on Mondays.
Curriculum is critical. What is taught is just as important as how it is taught. Our university-prep curriculum, taught from a Christian worldview, is designed to give students a solid foundation academically, morally and ethically. At the high school level, twenty-three AP classes are offered and all other classes are taught at an honors level. The middle school is a pre-AP program which preps students for university level coursework in high school. Students are also offered a variety of art, music, writing and media classes to stimulate their creativity.
Our coursework in economics and business begins in fourth grade with Biblical principles of the free market. By sixth grade, students tackle monetary policy. In high school, all students are required to take at least one AP Economics class. Classes are also offered in Accounting, Speech and Debate, Statistics, Computer Science, Business Law, Business Math and American Economic Freedom.
Technology is a tool. All middle and high school students have their own iPad. In a backpack, each student carries the world’s largest library. However, access to knowledge does not mean good use of knowledge. Without a solid, structured education, the ability to use the amazing resources available can be lost.
Too often parents and teachers allow students to use technology as a crutch, an excuse not to learn. In the past thirty years, spelling, math and grammar skills have declined. Productivity and creativity are lost when a student continually looks up basic skills instead of mastering and applying them. Many schools have dropped penmanship – a very valuable skill, not only for communicating, but also for developing fine motor skills in young students.
Test, test, test. Tests motivate, add interest to learning and track progress. A test should be considered almost a “game.” Students challenge themselves by counting how many math problems they can solve in two minutes or by spelling words as quickly as they can without error, by writing an creative essay with perfect grammar or by completing an AP Studio Art portfolio or performing for a higher chair in Concert Band. These drills can be addictive as students challenge themselves to improve their hard skills and integrate creativity.
Results matter. The Fairfax Christian School has a fifty-three year track record. One-hundred percent of our graduates are attending colleges and universities; several have gone on to receive Masters degrees and PhDs from some of the top universities in the world.
Our small school has produced amazing alumni including members of the US Congress; local elected officials; entrepreneurs; CEOs; industrialists; leaders in technology; leaders in the international Christian community; artists; an Oscar Award nominee; a few best selling authors and even the Inspector General of the CIA.
So, are we radical? Absolutely. In a world where grade inflation trumps achievement and effort is given the same merit as success, high standards in modern education are rare. Fairfax Christian School stands out as a model for what education should be.
Ways To Avoid Summer Learning Loss
Vacations are important and though there are great benefits to taking a break from the rigors of the academic school year, students can lose aptitude if they fail to use their knowledge over the summer. The average American student has two and a half months of grade level equivalency loss in mathematics and up to two months of loss in reading achievement over summer vacation. However, both math and reading summer learning loss can be easily avoided.
1. Read Something Every Day The Fairfax Christian School requires summer reading for our students. Our required reading lists may not fill your child’s entire summer, but it will help any child maintain and increase their reading levels over the summer months. With the internet and iPads, there are unlimited resources, many of which are free to download.
2. Mathematics There’s an app for that. Visit the iTunes Store and download mathematics games for the iPad. There are dozens of mathematics games which can be downloaded and which will drill everything from basic addition to calculus equations. Many of these apps are free.
3. Camps Fairfax Christian School hosts the Real American Manners Camps at our school at the end of June. This is a great opportunity to perfect table manners, letter writing and general etiquette skills.
Fairfax Christian School’s USACompete holds American Culture Camps during the month of July for international students. USACompete also holds an Intensive English Institute during the month of August for middle and high school students.
The YMCA also offers summer camps at the Fairfax Christian School for students age 5 to 12.
Hidden Creek Country Club offers golf camps which are open to non-members.
Contact the school office for more information on any of these activities.
4. Explore Summer is a great time to take a trip. You don’t need to climb the Great Wall or the Eiffel Tower to have an educational adventure. Nearby, there is George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Great Falls National Park, Old Town Alexandria, Luray Caverns and unlimited things to see in Washington, D.C. Take some time to explore the monuments, museums and natural wonders in the area.
5. Volunteer New environments stimulate learning and deepen understanding of our culture and community. Volunteering in the community allows students to explore occupations and to meet new people.
High school students are required to have ten community service hours each year. They can do these hours in the summertime and apply them to the following school year.
This article was published in the June 2013 Colonial Crier.
Four Tips To Organize Your Child
Keeping your children organized is essential to ensuring good grades and a peaceful household. Here are four ideas to help improve your child’s organizational skills.
1. Establish Routines.
Make sure you have daily routines in your household. Children thrive with consistency. Have the alarm clock sound at the same time every morning. Try to eat meals at the same time daily. Have your children do their homework, clean their bedrooms, brush their teeth, and take their baths at the same time every day. Established routines give children a sense of security and allow them to focus on schoolwork and other activities.
2. Make Check List.
Help your children get organized with daily checklists.
A homework checklist keeps our children on task and focused. Children feel a sense of accomplishment when they can check off that they have studied for a test or written their book report.
As children get older, they will learn to prioritize and only need occasional guidance. However, do not assume that since they are well organized with their established routine, they can handle a new project without parental guidance. Review your children’s plans to study for an AP Exam or plans to apply to universities and offer suggestions when needed to keep your child focused and on task.
3. Stay Focused.
No one can do everything. Too often, as parents, we keep insane schedules for our children. We do not want to deny them any experience that may enrich their lives, yet we find our children and ourselves overwhelmed. I know parents who fill every afternoon and weekend with extracurricular activities. Often, they have three or four children, all with different activities. Choose one or two activities to focus on and find activities your children can do together or that you can do as a family.
Several books have been written on this subject: The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom by Amy Chua. These books all conclude that it is better to focus on one or two activities and do them well instead of doing a little bit of everything.
Colleges and universities have also changed what they look for in student activities. They want focused students. The nationally ranked figure skater or champion golfer will have priority over the student who plays soccer, basketball, football, and track every year but never excels in any sport.
4. Don’t Quit.
It is human nature to want to quit when things get tough. At some point, every child will want to quit when they get an “F” on a spelling test, lose a soccer game, or spill the paint in art class. As parents, we have to teach our children that failure is part of the learning process. When things are not going well, ask them why, challenge them to analyze what is not working, and discuss ways to fix the issues.
When your children are discouraged, do not even allow them to quit their activities because things are not going as expected unless personal safety is at risk. When a child makes a commitment to an elective, sport, or club, insist they finish their commitment. Completing activities that did not go perfectly provides a learning experience that will strengthen your children’s planning and decision-making skills.