I wouldn't become too distressed over it. These days most schools stop practicing hand writing completely after the third grade. The reality of it is hand writing simply isn't that important in everyday life and is becoming less and less so. Should a child be able to write by hand? Of course. Is it important that they have extremely neat hand writing? Not really, as long as they can read their own hand writing from the notes they take....unless they might be moving into an eventual career where better is required of course.
Old Dad, I completely agree with you re the importance of neat handwriting in our high-tech society... but fwiw, in my experience parenting a child who is dysgraphic - school didn't let go of handwriting lessons by 3rd grade, or of the expectation of neat handwriting - some teachers are all about computers, others are very caught up in the importance of handwriting. Most students (at least in our city) are still relying on handwriting for the majority of their school work well into high school, and for sure at the elementary and middle school levels. Not because the kids can't type or don't want to be using typing, but because that's how assignments are given out in school and because technology isn't available to most students across the board in all classes at school. Handwriting legibility/neatness is still looked at by some teachers.
Anyway, the real reason I'd want to understand what's behind it is very simple - if it *is* something like dysgraphia or other functional issue (which it most likely isn't, but just in case) - life isn't as simple as saying "handwriting doesn't matter anymore". Getting accommodations in place for dysgraphic kids can take a lot of advocating, and dysgraphia also usually means there is more going on than simply what looks like messy handwriting.
Sorry if that sounded like I am on a soap box - didn't mean for it too!
Best wishes,
polarbear
