If a person cannot read or write cursive, are they "functionally illiterate?"

[La Coliniere]

107. Teaching kids cursive is actually quite easy and I did it as "bell work" every morning.

It was agreed by the 4th grade team I was a member of that we would teach it by using this method. I did this for 20 years and most students were proficient in reading and writing cursive by Thanksgiving. After some initial direct instruction on how the worksheets they would receive every morning should be used, it became automatic how to proceed. In a short time the kids just about taught themselves. We used the time from when the students entered the classroom to when morning announcements were broadcast to achieve this; we’re talking no more than 5-10 minutes 4/5 mornings a week. I believe learning to write and read in cursive is still important. We also embedded periodic writing assignments that had to be in cursive, in order to achieve mastery of the skill. I’ve had students who are now adults thank me for being taught cursive writing. I am still in contact with teachers from the public school I retired from 10 years ago and they are still employing that same method of teaching cursive writing. Good for them I say.