Joanne Jacobs points out that handwriting is not being taught anymore in schools anymore. I noticed this with the my daughters, who are five years apart. The younger daughter seemed to get much less instruction in handwriting, as well as phonics, spelling, and arithmetic. Anything that required rote memorization and pracitice was de-emphasized. Fortunately, she has parents who are teachers and willing to pick up the slack. As the high school teacher who has to read the essays that these handwriting-deprived students produce, I sure wish they would return to teaching handwriting and spelling.