Memoria Press New American Cursive

[Classically Minded]

I'm pretty settled on buying Memoria Press' NAC but wanted to see others advice, opinions and experiences with this cursive program. My daughter has for a while been wanting to start cursive but I held off till she was skilled in manuscript. I plan on buying the complete package deal with the StartWrite software to make my own extra copywork in the future.

 

All feedback is appreciated, thanks in advance! ;)

[Classically Minded]

Anyone? :confused:

[monalisa]

Since this is going to be a little negative, I hate to be your only response...but we didn't really like this. In fact, I have a very partially used book that I am going to erase and sell (pm me if you have any interest; she only wrote in a few pages). For my dd, the line width is too wide. She had been in HWT K, started HWT1 and wasn't making much progress, and I thought going to cursive was the ticket for her to improve. I inadvertently figured out she just needed smaller lines. I now have her working in HWT 2 and on 1/2" 3 lined paper for copywork, and her writing is much improved. NAC Cursive is ruled too wide for her (I think its the standard 1st grade width, whatever that is). Also, after being used to how HWT teaches (there is kind of a little script for every letter), I missed having that to help her with. Also, HWT teaches the letters in order of how they are written; NAC teaches in alphabetical order. I'm sure NAC works great for some, just not for us. It is a nice curriculum and has a cute meerkat mascot, but not a fit for my dd unfortunately (and it seems overpriced to me, compared to the economical HWT books). I really like the look of the font though, compared to HWT which has a vertial cursive font, but since HWT works for my dd I think we're sticking with it. The HWT cursive really builds off the manuscript; and with the struggles we've had with writing I think my dd will do well with it.

[Classically Minded]

Since this is going to be a little negative, I hate to be your only response...but we didn't really like this. In fact, I have a very partially used book that I am going to erase and sell (pm me if you have any interest; she only wrote in a few pages). For my dd, the line width is too wide. She had been in HWT K, started HWT1 and wasn't making much progress, and I thought going to cursive was the ticket for her to improve. I inadvertently figured out she just needed smaller lines. I now have her working in HWT 2 and on 1/2" 3 lined paper for copywork, and her writing is much improved. NAC Cursive is ruled too wide for her (I think its the standard 1st grade width, whatever that is). Also, after being used to how HWT teaches (there is kind of a little script for every letter), I missed having that to help her with. Also, HWT teaches the letters in order of how they are written; NAC teaches in alphabetical order. I'm sure NAC works great for some, just not for us. It is a nice curriculum and has a cute meerkat mascot, but not a fit for my dd unfortunately (and it seems overpriced to me, compared to the economical HWT books). I really like the look of the font though, compared to HWT which has a vertial cursive font, but since HWT works for my dd I think we're sticking with it. The HWT cursive really builds off the manuscript; and with the struggles we've had with writing I think my dd will do well with it.

 

Whether negative or not, I appreciate the input! ;) My dd couldn't do HWT, her penmanship was horrible with the paper the way the lines were - so I went to normal K paper and her penmanship is very neat now. The HWT caused her tears lol - maybe its because she is left handed? I don't know but what made me want to get NAC was the article on how that cursive would work better for left handers. I'm still not sure, but she does love that Mr. Meerkat when I showed him to her lol. :tongue_smilie:

[SilverMoon]

I put "NAC" into the search bar here in the curriculum forum and got many hits. :) I haven't tried this curriculum, but I did look into it briefly. (I didn't choose anything else over it, but decided my little guy wasn't ready for it yet.)

[Classically Minded]

I put "NAC" into the search bar here in the curriculum forum and got many hits. :) I haven't tried this curriculum, but I did look into it briefly. (I didn't choose anything else over it, but decided my little guy wasn't ready for it yet.)

 

I have done the search as well and it was a mixed review from what I remember, I may do it again and go back and read.

 

Last night I got out a cursive dry erase board I had bought 2 years ago. Without my help dd did the whole alphabet in cursive - I didn't think she would catch on that quick! The board I have is the old style, very loopy - what I liked about the NAC is the clean, easy, neat cursive and that it wasn't so slanted so it would work with left handers better. She could just use the dry erase board cursive I have and no actual program I suppose - that is how she learned manuscript in the beginning.

[monalisa]

NAC Cursive is ruled too wide for her (I think its the standard 1st grade width, whatever that is).

 

I just went & looked at NAC, and I'm incorrect. NAC is ruled at 1/2". The opening page for every letter has a really wide section, however. Previousl, my dd was using wider 1st grade paper (and HWT 1st grade is a little wider than 1/2" for at least the first part of the book). What she's using now is narrower most of the time (HWT 2 is narrow all the time), which does help her.

[moskitoe]

We just started the MP NAC in January and I think we will have it done by the end of March. My son really enjoys it and likes to pretend he is the meerkat when he writes. He also likes that after each letter practice, there is a place to draw a picture. That makes it seem like more fun to him. He took very easily to it, but then again, he has never had a problem with handwriting. I would have loved to have bought the software but it is not Mac compatible.

[Classically Minded]

We just started the MP NAC in January and I think we will have it done by the end of March. My son really enjoys it and likes to pretend he is the meerkat when he writes. He also likes that after each letter practice, there is a place to draw a picture. That makes it seem like more fun to him. He took very easily to it, but then again, he has never had a problem with handwriting. I would have loved to have bought the software but it is not Mac compatible.

 

Great, thanks! :D I had wanted the complete set - Book 1&2, desktop strip and the StartWrite NAC software because if you buy the set, you get $13 off I think it is. Got it today and dd can't wait for Mr. Meerkat to arrive - he sealed the decision lol. :tongue_smilie:

[hlee]

We have been using NAC this year; I have nothing to compare our experience to, as this is our first time homeschooling. My son is a second grader and started with Book I this fall, now we're about 3/4 the way through Book II. He has really liked it, as he was motivated to start cursive this year and happy that he could start it half a year earlier than his PS peers! I liked the NAC font for its cleanliness, and for the fact that its slant wasn't too upright or too far right. The spacing of the lines gets progressively smaller as you move through the books. But I suppose as you could say, the proof is in the pudding. My son did a lovely page of cursive words today and I was completely impressed with what he did! I don't have a photo of it up yet but will do so in our next report. So, although I can't speak for HWT or other programs, or how it all compares price-wise, I'm happy with NAC overall.

[Rene Austen]

My dd7 is enjoying it (she loves anything with a cute mascot--that's why we're doing McRuffy Math :001_smile:), and she learned the alphabet quickly and efficiently using it. The script is really clear and legible, and her handwriting looks great. I've been pleased with the program.

[hlee]

Here is an example of my son's work using NAC. He started the program in August, and he is 7 1/2. To be honest, I have no frame of reference for his work, as he is my oldest and we've never used a different handwriting program before. So you can be the judge as to whether you think this is the appropriate level of ability in cursive after six months. I'm happy with it so we'll probably just continue using NAC with our other kids!

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q54kSU84hAjmUOZeMtq5Hw?feat=directlink

 

Edited February 16, 2010 by hlee
trying to insert the photo!

[Classically Minded]

Here is an example of my son's work using NAC. He started the program in August, and he is 7 1/2. To be honest, I have no frame of reference for his work, as he is my oldest and we've never used a different handwriting program before. So you can be the judge as to whether you think this is the appropriate level of ability in cursive after six months. I'm happy with it so we'll probably just continue using NAC with our other kids!

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q54kSU84hAjmUOZeMtq5Hw?feat=directlink

 

 

I think it looks great, thanks for sharing! I had ordered the NAC yesterday, so we are awaiting the arrival of Mr. Meerkat! ;)

[Classically Minded]

Wanted to update this post - we did decide on NAC and started it and did a week or so.

 

It is great BUT...dd's reading started slowing down and getting worse AND for the first time, she had letter reversal in manuscript AND forgot the strokes of several letters in manuscript! Her writing looked horrible! So we put it away until mid 2nd or 3rd grade and she was ok with it. She said it made her hand hurt a lot anyway.

[monalisa]

I'm sorry to hear that, because NAC isn't cheap (for penmanship)! That was about the same experience we had with it (including b & d reversals). We had ALOT of tears over Mr. Meerkat :( until I finally ditched it, which sent me back to HWT even though I don't love the look of the script. NAC looks great (nice workbook, nice font), but its not an easy 1st grade program in my opinion.

[Classically Minded]

I'm sorry to hear that, because NAC isn't cheap (for penmanship)! That was about the same experience we had with it (including b & d reversals). We had ALOT of tears over Mr. Meerkat :( until I finally ditched it, which sent me back to HWT even though I don't love the look of the script. NAC looks great (nice workbook, nice font), but its not an easy 1st grade program in my opinion.

 

It wasn't the curriculum because we loved NAC and will use it later on, it was that we introduced cursive too early I believe. I do agree with what SWB says about not introducing cursive early and her reasoning goes on to say that "many children need to print because they need the visual likeness between what they’re doing and what’s in the books they read" It really is true - at least for us.

 

With HWT, it was always WITH tears for dd LOL. :tongue_smilie: Just goes to show that each child is so very different!