My son (8) has been trying to learn cursive this year. We haven't been strict about it, but I do want him to know it just because I want him to know it. LOL But while he is getting a little better at recognizing most of the letters (some of the odd ones he gets mixed up, like the capital S and G), his writing is atrocious! He has the worst time and is getting where he hates doing it. So I'm looking for recommendations on what I can do to help him. Any ideas are very welcome! TIA!
Have you tried tracing or stencils yet? Mardel's has both, or you can get printable tracing sheets online in a variety of cursive styles.
We've used this cursive workbook, and he did the whole thing, but he still writes just awful. Maybe he just needs more tracing practice...
First let me start off by clarifying that I am in the "better late than early" camp. He's 8 and he's a boy. I don't think that it is reasonable to expect much more than what he's doing. Studies show that boys especially just don't have the necessary fine motor skills for neat handwriting until about 10 or so. So if it were me, I would hold off on cursive completely for a while. JMO. But if you do find a way to make it enjoyable for him, let me know. My dd10 hates learning cursive. she gets all dramatic on me whenever I give her the practice sheets!LOL
My answer? Quit teaching cursive. Just for a bit. Several months or something. And then go back to it with games or practicing on a wipe off board. I think kids are never really going to like cursive. But they're getting frustrated and overwhelmed its time to set it down and pick it up at a later date.
We only have 9 wks left this year. Maybe I will just drop it until next year. He'd no doubt love me for it! LOL
Stephanie, my student Ben has a very ... inconsistent... handwriting. When he came to me, he could only print and it looked a lot like a mishmash of capitals and lowercase, few spaces, and different sizes, most barely sitting on the lines. He was 11. We have practiced and practiced, and only just this week his cursive practice page is beginning to resemble the examples on the page, but when left to himself, he still prints with few spaces, his o might look like u or a, r looks like an upside down cursive e, s is more or less straight, and so on. Mostly it sits "near" the lines now. I don't make him practice for hours, but I do remind him several times a day to use his cursive in his workbooks (unless it's obvious that there's only space provided for specific letters, in which case it's better printed), on his spelling test, writing a science paragraph, or whatever. We've been using Pentime (similar to traditional ZB and Abeka - with curls) which provides for both tracing and copying letters and words and copywork (one page of one, one page of the other). We usually do only one page a day, and I do go over it in red to show where his marks should have gone instead of where they went. We've finished the Pentime book for this year, so some days I have him write his spelling list, and other days he'll copy some of the copywork from the Pentime book, sayings, scripture verses, etc., on "handwriting paper" (he still needs the dotted midline). Now, Ben has obvious learning differences from other kids, and I'm not comparing that situation to your child in any way. What I am saying, though, is that "slow and steady wins the race".
I think it's important to expose kids to cursive, but ultimately it will be his decision whether to uses it in his own writing. Can't think of anywhere cursive is required except school. It's much more important to be able to read it than write it. Never know when you might get a note from someone who looks cursive. Having said that, I wouldn't sweat it. Just touch on it from time to time.
I think reading is more important, too, clumsymom. I think I may just focus on that aspect for a while, then maybe next year see how he responds to the writing aspect.
I agree that being able to read cursive is very important. I have my ds do 2 pages (1 page =1 side) in his Abeka Writing with Phonics 2 book daily. I have him do this usually first thing in the morning while I am still getting my act together. He is in 3rd grade but since he never had cursive in ps I started with the 2nd grade book. This has taught him the letters and has simple tracing exercises for him to do. Now that he has done most of the book, I make up a simple sentence and write it our white board and he will duplicate it. I love to watch him concentrate and work so hard at getting it right ( tongue hanging out and all!!) lol That is how we end our school day. I look at it and we talk about it, he discusses what letters were hard to make, easy to make, etc. We will redo a letter if needed ( only if it is way off) other wise I do not grade it. I feel that the way you get better at something is to practice it and be exposed to is constantly even if it is for 3 minutes a day. The neatness will come as he gets older!
I whole heartedly agree. Just keep practicing. It will gradually improve. I had the same struggle with my DS, who is now 13. He now prefers cursive, and I can actually read it.
