Hmm... the highest literacy rate in a nation of the world is Japan.

How do they feel about their handwriting classes for children?

I've long thought cursive was silly. Printing block letters was simpler & more readable as a child. Calligraphy was at least artistic on top of it all. Cursive... just seemed like a lazy persons way to do short hand. Why not just learn short hand?

Morse code came... and went. Not many know it now.

And as much as some may rail against technologies and 'smart' devices (hate that term)... at least the age of 'texting' is raising the bar about reading.

Recently discovered a friend of a friend who could read, but not write. Now that was a tad bit disturbing in this day and age... but he reads *really* fast, and can type text messages. Frankly, I'm a little confused as to why he can't write