cursive small case f - what is the accepted way of writing this?

[Mercedes]

I wasn't happy with how my dd was writing her cursive f in a lower case. It reads like an s as the top half of the f doesn't stretch up (like a j, K or an L) She told me that's how she's been taught. I queried this with the school who've said yes the f doesn't stretch up anymore.

Is this right? Is the modern cursive 'f' ? Are other children being taught what looks like an s. The 'f' now stretches from the bottom (like a p) to the middle if you see what I mean.

The f also is not crossed but this maybe a style thing?

Advice on whether the school is making up its own font please

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=sassoon+font&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=iKR&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&biw=1138&bih=520&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=Qy2QdvhXJHcOeM:&imgrefurl=www.follifootfarm.co.uk/fonts.html&docid=YDqSApRpPotZ2M&imgurl=www.follifootfarm.co.uk/uploads/images/products/large/alphabetpic.jpg&w=450&h=259&ei=sWiYTsvxFcfbsgag4rT9Aw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=804&vpy=144&dur=152&hovh=170&hovw=296&tx=110&ty=74&sig=106915785124794934187&page=1&tbnh=97&tbnw=169&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the most common style in schools My school teaches it's own style of cursive handwriting where the f is straight above the line but looped below there is no official style.

It depends on which handwriting scheme is being followed at the school.

We don't follow a commercial scheme our's is actually based on the DHs handwriting

The example you've shown mrz has the f higher than the g which is what I'd expect. The school may follow a particular scheme but it feels very arbitrary to have an f following the same height as a g.

what are the different writing schemes ? I really am not happy with my dd being taught letters which can be mis read as an s.

Many young children form the "f" in my example more like a "s" when they are first taught but it needs to be corrected or it becomes habit. How old is your daughter?

She 10! She tells me its only in last year she's been taught this way. She isn't making a mistake as the school sent me home their example in the teacher's handwriting and it does not read like an f.

I was expecting you to say 5 or 6!

We teach ours this style. Children do have to be careful to avoid 'coathanger f' though...

Hi SE13

That's fairly close to what she's been taught but the school is instructing her to make it the same size as a g so it doesn't rise up like a k or an L.

Our "f" is more like the "j" in that style except full height

In the school that I work the "f" is 3/4's high, so basically not as tall as the "l" letters and not as short as the "g" letters. It is looped under the line too.

What mrz showed is not cursive, it is "typo" and is taught in early primary, what SE showed is cursive.

cursive just means joined

Ours teach the one shown by SE13. School also send home a copy of the alphabet and your child's name written in this style for you to copy at home - laminate - pin on the fridge.

LeMousquetaireAnonyme actually it is cursive when you join it to another letter but i couldn't find an image demonstrating a "f" joined

www.clubtype.co.uk/fonts/sas/imgs/fishjoin.jpg

www.cambridge.org/uk/education/primary/literacy/penpals/files/0521755107p16.pdf

www.cambridge.org/servlet/file/store6/item5679389/version1/9781845651985_excerpt2.pdf

Thank you for the examples. In all of them the f rises whether joined up or not, whether it loops below or not.

It seems to me the school has either ignored the structure of the lower case f as used and understood by all or had made up their own rule.

I think I will take this further with the school and ask them what scheme they use. Given that dd's teacher is the literacy co-ordinator I wonder how far I'll get.