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Cursive writing

5 replies

Marjoriew · 19/04/2010 08:40

Yes, I know, grandson is nearly 11 but he hates handwriting. He has excellent handwriting and is very particular but it's like pulling teeth to get him to 'join up' his handwriting.
Personally, I don't think it really matters. His handwriting as it is legible and neat, and for lapbooking we use Word and some handwriting.
What do you all think?

OP posts:
stressedHEmum · 19/04/2010 09:28

I don't think it's that important, to be honest. As long as his writing is tidy, accurate and legible, why does it have to be "joined up"? Nowadays, it's as important that they can type well and use programmes like Word.

One of the reasons I withdrew my DS from school is that he couldn't write. At almost 11 he had the assessed handwriting age of 4. He has suspected Mearles Irlen syndrom and his reading age at the time was only 6years. ALl day, everyday the school made a fuss about his handwriting. He kept getting work back to do again, had individual handwriting "lessons" every day while the other children were having story corner or free play time or less formal stuff of one kind or another. His teachers made a point of NEVER displaying his work in case it drew attention to his poor writing/drawing. It all conspired to leave DS3 a wreck. He will hardly put pencil to paper, nowadays, although his writing is gradually getting better. He has a writing age of about 6 now (he is 13.) I try not to make a big deal of it. We just plod on trying to find things that work.

DS4, who is 7, can't write at all and doesn't want to. I am just leaving it alone, really, for fear of putting him off by forcing the issue before he is ready. DD on the other hand, has lovely writing, rubbish spelling though, and loves trying cursive. We have a whole load of "copywork" stuff that goes along with the history projects and nature lapbooks that she loves. At the moment she is completing a page a day with little snippets about horses and ancient Egypt. The boys aren't interested in this at all.

If I were you, I would be quite happy that he can write nicely, without worrying about joining up. Lapbooks rule by the way, for a couple of years that was all we did, really, apart from sums. The younger two still do them, but DS3 thinks that he is too old for them now.

CirrhosisByTheSea · 19/04/2010 12:10

I agree, I wouldn't worry at all if he joins it or not. As long as it's neat - great. That's better than many adults can manage! He may get to a stage where he wants to try to change it himself anyway - I remember myself and other kids at school at getting very fandangly and creative with our writing, I guess we must have been maybe 13/14?

lolapoppins · 19/04/2010 13:42

I have no intention of teaching my ds cursive writing unless he wants to/starts doing it himself.

I have never written like that, my letters have always been separate and I am extremely fast at and neat at writing! Some schools I know get so hung up on it.

Marjoriew · 19/04/2010 13:59

My own handwriting isn't 'joined up'and it's very neat.
He got a bit stressed the other day when he had to sign in at Explore Learn and one of the tutors asked him to join up his writing. I had to tell her that we don't do joined up. As long as I can read it and so can everyone else, I don't see the problem.
So, I think I'll leave it.
Thanks for all your posts.

OP posts:
mummytime · 26/04/2010 09:17

One little plus for cursive, it can help with spelling. Also if you ever want to experiment with your children, ask them to write a word with their eyes shut, most people do "joined up" writing.

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