Print rather than cursive - 16yo

[ThinkingAgainAndAgain]

DS is dyspraxic, he was taught cursive handwriting at primary school but never managed to transfer cursive across from handwriting practice to writing at any other time.

We’ve just let him print, and he doesn’t seem at all bothered. I wasn’t bothered either, until relatives mentioned it as he writes in print on their birthday and Christmas cards.

Is cursive something that we should be encouraging now?

Very little mileage in that at their age I think.
A LOT of pupils I teach, are taught cursive through primary, then quickly stop joining their writing as soon as they get to high school.

Readable, fluid and quick is important for their work to be able to be read in school and when exams are marked.

I've never learned to do cursive, I have always printed. My handwriting is incredibly easy to read and in multiple jobs I've been asked to write letters for mass printing because apparently it looks beautiful (surprised me).

Often people say it's about speed and muscle memory - but I'm very fast and don't have issues with spelling etc.

So overall, I wouldn't say that printing rather than 'joined-up' is a negative. I would spend the time teaching him to touch type rather than do cursive as that is a far more useful skill in the real world.

Thank you, this is reassuring. He’s done touch typing courses previously, but won’t put in the practice time to build up his speed. He has 25% extra time in exams, which must help too.

I write in cursive and often struggle to read my own writing which isn't ideal. Kids were taught in cursive but have dropped it for print now they are in secondary.