Cursive writing

[cjt110]

DS has just started school. As per his school's guidelines, he will learn cursive writing.

I don't even do this myself - a mix of joined up and not.

And his name has R's in it, shich don't look remotely like an "r" which he will read when joined up...

Any helpful suggestions?

My dd started in a primary school that taught cursive from reception. They also only let them read books and word lists with cursive writing in and asked us not to read with them at home unless we had cursive books. That's bonkers! We have hundreds of books in our house and none of them are written in cursive print! Way to go to completely put them off reading.

Seems unnecessarily problematical to me. Good luck

None of mine were taught cursive until age 7. They were already able to print well by then and understood the difference. Ds number 2 was the only one who had trouble with it, so we got hime handwriting without tears the cursive edition practise book and he caught on in no time. All three have lovely writing.

Not all children are suited to writing in the cursive style. Ds1 struggled something rotten and his writing was illegible all through primary. Once he got to secondary, the teachers were complaining, so I sat down with him and taught him how to print with a bit of joined up where he felt comfortable doing it. He took it on board and it transformed his writing. He’s done this ever since and is at uni now.

I wish I'd never been made to write joined up. My handwriting is appalling. My sister who prints has lovely writing.

This is a personal bugbear of mine

My ds was taught cursive letter formation from the start, but felt under pressure in year 3 to join up. His printed letters were reasonably formed, but he now has illegible joined up writing

R's are a particular problem to him as he finishes the letter, then draws a line to the line on the paper to start the next letter, which turns the 'r' into more of an 'n'. I spoke to his year 3 teacher about not joining but she said it was school handwriting policy. So he has gone from legible printing to illegible joined. Apologies for the multiple posts, my computer doesn't want to allow paragraphs for some reason today!

I've never seen Rs like the ones you've posted, OP!

Why is this even an issue OP, YABU. Cursive is the proper way to write and anything else is just lazy - on your part. WHSmith sell handwriting books, why don't you buy one?

I teach cursive writing and foundation stage and we don't do it joined up and believe this is the same for all schools so he won't need to see it joined. We do it next to each other but cursive so when they start to join up as the get older the don't have to complete relearn the 'swoosh in' etc. I definitely wouldn't as a teacher if you asked for help, but you should teach the one on the letter sheet not the joined up one that looks similar to a 'n'. Also if you have Microsoft Word, there is a cursive dot to dot font. (Or there is on my laptop?) :)

The reason most schools teach cursive is because it is in the curriculum Teachers don't pick and choose what they teach. By end of year 2 they need to write cursive so most start it ASAP. The reason reading books etc are in print not cursive are because the curriculum changed and the old curriculum didn't mention cursive at KS1. Books will be from previous years. (Teacher knowledge) r's joined should look like @goodbysummers picture x

In my work doing copy typing I have come across literally one person with legible cursive writing. I think in this modern era of keyboards it's an outdated skill. I didn't do my written exams in cursive because it made more sense to write legibly.

My daughter is in year 5 and even now she struggles with writing cursive. It is VERY hard to read and unless she takes ages S L O W L Y writing, it is barely legible. She is also left handed. It is just a general pain. I write all day at work, and my handwriting is probably a mix of joined and print.

I didn't do my written exams in cursive because it made more sense to write legibly. But it's a lot, lot slower to not join the letters. OK if you're so on top of the subject matter that you could have done the exam twice in the allowed time, but for most people, being able to write fast in an exam is important to their chances of a good mark.

But if you are crap at legible cursive then it's even slower.

I do a mix, some letters join together better than others. I never got the hang of s.

How do you sign your name as opposed to printing it?

It's an illegible scribble thanks to chip and pin

Most people as adults have their own style of handwriting, and many (like me) do a mix of joined and not-joined letters. The National Curriculum specifically says that children should be taught when not to join letters, too. So capitals, but also some unusual combinations which just don't work together. Anyway, we

Bollocks, my computer wouldn't let me put in a paragraph break so I tried a key combo and it posted! What I was going to say was: Anyway, we don't expect them to write like that for their whole lives, it just speeds things up. Eventually, they'll find their own style.

Generations learned cursive writing, why can’t these youngsters? I don’t buy that you can’t learn it. I was left handed and still managed. You just have to practice. As with most things.

Writing needs to be fluid and legible. Sadly, we see students struggling with exam technique at GCSE because some KS3 teachers allow sloppy work and presentation. Some students can print at speed and maintain a fluid link between thought and Writing, but most don't/can't. Students who print in ks4 are usually the ones who struggle. By y9 most have migrated to a half joined, half not set up whcih is fluid, legible and can be sustained.

Surely it's time to phase out handwritten exams

If I'm honest I didn't realise some adults don't use cursive. I was under the impression it was only children who wrote the printed way. I think Yr 4 was when I was taught. Yr 2 seems a tad young.