have there been handwriting changes in the curriculum?

[pinkunicornsarefluffy]

DD is in Year 4 and the teacher is new to the school. She is making the children change the way that they write joined up, and not allowing them to join any letters with tails, or x's.

This goes against last year where they were taught to join all of them. The children are very confused and the teacher has said that if they get it wrong they will have to write the whole page again, not rub it out.

Does anyone know if the curriculum has changed to advise that these letters shouldn't be joined, or if they were taught wrong previously or if they are being taught wrong now?

Large numbers of GCSE and A-level marks are lost every year due to poor handwriting and presentation meaning examiners can't read answers to questions. Apparently it's particularly bad around the C/D boundary.

Some pupils might find it easier to fulfill their full potential if they spend more time on handwriting. It's not at all the same as some of the focus on pointless uniform rules.

I dislike cursive writing! I think it detracts from having your own handwriting style and I don't like it. We didn't learn cursive writing but still managed to join it all up in the end. Pointless.

"Cursive" simply means joined handwriting NotVery so your own joined style is cursive handwriting as is any style where letters are joined.

Yes I know but they way its taught it seems that everyone has to form it exactly the same, which doesn't allow for individual handwriting styles quite the same way.

Handwriting will always be individual