Cursive Writing

Why should we learn cursive writing?
Here are some of the reasons why I will take the time to teach cursive writing in my classroom.

1. Students learn better through movement and using their senses. Vital hand/brain connections forge new pathways in the brain. (Printing and cursive writing activate different parts of the brain.)

Cursive writing compared to printing is even more beneficial because the movement tasks are more demanding, the letters are less stereotypical, and visual recognition requirements create a broader repertoire of letter representation.   (Neurologist, Dr. William Klemm)

2. Cursive writing helps students retain information as letters are connected and words are thought of as wholes. Taking notes by hand helps students to digest and reframe information.
3. Research suggests that cursive can serve as a teaching aid for students with learning impairments like dyslexia.
4. Most people like to develop their own pleasing personal style of cursive and perfect their signatures. (A printed signature is not secure and easily copied.)

Below you will find the lessons we are using to practise our cursive skills. Feel free to watch them many times and practise along with the demonstrator. (Lessons from the HEV project blogspot.)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Lesson 1 (Short & Long Wave Strokes)

                                                                                                                                                                    Lesson 2 (Letters i, s, r, t)       

   

Lesson 3 (Words with the letters already studied.)

                                         

                                       Lesson 4  ( Small Curved Wave Stroke)                                                                                      

                                        Lesson 5  (Using the Curve Stroke to write a, o, d, g, c)

Lesson 6  (Write words using the strokes and letters learned. - dog, toad, got, coat, cod, rag)

Lesson 7  (Hill Cursive Stroke)

Lesson 8 (above) (Turn Hill Stroke into m and n)
Lesson 9 (Write words using the strokes and letters learned - man, noon, moon, moan)

Lesson 10  (Use the Short Wave Stroke to learn the letters u and w)

Lesson 11  (Write words using the strokes and letters learned - mug, wag, straw, us)

Lesson 12  (Short Loop Stroke, Long Loop Stroke)