joined-up handwriting

[InLoveWithSweeneyTodd]

Someone's told me this is not taught at all in the UK, and children don't write in cursive any more, but rather learn to write individual non-connecting letters. Is this true?

Not as far as I'm concerned! Ds has been taught to do this since year 3 IIRC.
I wasn't taught it until I was in year 6.

My dd1 started joined up writing in Y1 and my dd2 (Reception) has already started learning 'patterns' in preparation to do joined up writing, so, i can't speak for other areas of the UK but they certainly teach it here (North West England)

aahh, thank you, panic over.

I think some schools may not "push it" in quite the way they used to? DD is in Y2 and they have been taught cursive script but are not made to use it. The children choose the style they prefer.

No joined writing is still taught and expected.

QCA/SATs tests expect children to use neat joined up and are given a few extra marks for doing so.

What is difficult is finding the time to do handwriting practise often enough to develop well with a primary curriculum that is vastly over loaded.

I still write with all letters seperate despite eing taught at scool to write joined up. Everyone always laughs that I must secretly type as my handwriting is so much like type written. I don't know why but joined looks too scibbly for me.

I'm a TA in a primary school and we start teaching joined up writing in year 1. Its now recommended by Ofsted that all school teach standardized joined up writing

DD has so far learnt using individual letters, but always with the joining tals on the. She is in Y1 and hasn't started joined up writing yet. The girls in the Y3 class I help out at (at same school) all write in joined up writing though.

WC - I don't write joined up either despite being taught early on in school. My handwriting is far neater and more legible when not joined, and I find it just as quick.

My son has started to learn joined up writing at the end of year 1. He has been taught a pre cursive script rather than printing. Pre cursive has little flicks on each letter to make joining up easy.

I think its good starting young children off on pre cursive, its easier than joined up writing and its easy to go from pre cursive to joined up writing later. Unlike when children learnt to print, children do not have to re learn how to draw letters.