I vaguely remember learning how to link my letters together when I was six or seven. However I don’t ever recall it being taught after that. Print writing was all that was taught and encouraged. I do write in both cursive and print but my cursive was born out of necessity from having to write at insane speeds during my high school English and history examinations.
This seems like the trend for the majority of others in my generation also. In the past few years I have started to hear a lot more about cursive. The children I teach each week in Sunday school all write in cursive so it must be something that the schools were teaching now.
I started researching and trying to decide if it really was necessary, because to be honest I didn’t really want to add something else to my already full plate if I didn’t have to. I mean I did okay didn’t I?
Is it Necessary to Teach Cursive?
No it’s not necessary. Your child is not going to be doomed to failure if they are never taught how to write in cursive. They won’t be held back from a college education or a successful career because they can only write in print.
If you can only teach one style of handwriting I would lean towards print. Print is most commonly used and needed. They will do just fine if that is all you can teach them. If they really want to lear cursive they can pick it up later when they are able to teach themselves.
Cursive Writing is Good for the Brain
Once my research was underway (I was really just trying to research my way out of teaching it) I discovered that cursive writing goes far beyond just learning how to write. It is much deeper that what I first thought.
One of the main benefits of learning to write in cursive is the effect it has on the brain. When you write in cursive it actually works both sides of the brain. Printing only works one side.
Cursive writing requires the brain to work at many different functions together to be effective. This increased mental load has flow on effects into other cognitive function areas such as fine motor skills, and processing abilities.
Cursive Writing for Dyslexia
One of the issues that comes with having dyslexia is that letters can easily look the same which makes it infuriatingly difficult to differentiate in order to read easily. Letters such as “p”, “b” and “d” being the main culprits.
In cursive writing these letters all look substantially different to each other so mixing them up becomes less of a problem for those with dyslexia.
Dyslexia causes a problem with an individual being able to combine letter combinations and sounds effectively. These are two different processes that need to work in unison to be able to read well. Writing in cursive uses the parts or the brain responsible for both of these processes which printing does not. The more that a child works the areas of the brain that involve these skills the easier reading and writing will become.
Cursive Writing is Quicker and Less Tiring
I can vouch for this one a hundred percent. If you were to look back and my final year essays I wrote in exams you would see me start out in print but after a few paragraphs switch to cursive as my hand started to tire and my need for speed intensified as I noticed the minutes ticking away.
While learning cursive is something that is usually learnt in the early elementary years one of it’s biggest benefits doesn’t come until later when you are needed to write large portions of text quickly or for a long period of time.
Cursive is quicker because it does not require you to be lifting you pen after each letter. This also makes it less tiring on your hand. You will also find when you write in cursive that you use less pressure which also makes it a lot more pleasant to write with.
When Should I Teach Cursive?
The usual age for learning cursive is around eight years old. This, like most aspects of education is entirely dependent on the child and what they are ready for.
There are certain markers that would indicate that a child is ready to learn how to write in cursive.
- Proficient at writing in print
- Good fine motor skills
- Is no longer printing in large letters but can write relatively small and compactly.
Once a child has mastered these they are usually ready for cursive.
There has been a fair amount of talk recently about whether we should teach cursive before print. We obviously need to teach print awareness as this is what the majority of words are written in but cursive may actually be the easier way to learn to write.
The arguments for this are as follows:
- Cursive has less strokes. There are 3 main strokes in cursive where as there are 6 in print.
- Less confusion between similar letters such as “b” and “d”. Anyone who has taught a 5 year old to read and write knows the pain here!
- A more unified pattern of letter making. When you are writing in cursive all your lower case letters will start at the bottom of the line. In print, the point at which you start a letter differs from letter to letter.
These arguments are also why may children learn how to write upper case letters first. They are a lot less complicated and easier to form.
In short, the age at which you decide to teach your child is entirely up to you. It has been noted though that it is much more difficult for a child to go from print to cursive than it is for a child to go from cursive to print. As for my children, I start teaching them around the age of eight. It is just a personal preference.
Cursive Appeals to the Creative Mind
The way in which a person writes is so individual. If you look around at your friends and family you will notice how different everyones hand writing is. I have notes from my grandma who has since passed away. I know her handwriting well, and it brings me such comfort and sometimes a few tears. It is a part of who we are.
Cursive writing adds the extra “zing” so to speak. There is more leeway available to add your own unique flair and develop your own style. Children who are artistically inclined love this aspect of cursive and will relish the opportunity to work hard on their lettering.
Cursive Handwriting Curriculum
Just like every other subject there are a vast array of handwriting curriculums. You can easily create your own from simply printing off worksheets for your child to complete. There are a substantial amount of handwriting books at Target and the likes also.
One of the best handwriting curriculums I have seen however is Handwriting Without Tears. It is touted as one of the top curriculums out there for being well presented, easy to understand and with great results. Plus it is really well priced.
