Cursive or Print first?

[Homemaker]

Which one do you think is better to teach first? Why? Thanks! :)

[FO4UR]

I teach cursive first.

 

We all revert back to what we learned first...which explains my morphed-between-print-and-cursive handwriting. I want cursive to be natural for my dc.

 

It's mighty difficult to reverse letters in cursive writing.

 

From the standpoint of the type of movement itself, cursive is more natural and easier to learn from the start. There is less confusion about where to start each letter, where to pick up and re-put the pencil, etc...

 

Spacing is a non-issue with cursive. There is a space between words, and all letters in a word are connected. By the time we actually start with print, the spacing between letters/words is natural.

 

Print is picked up easily on their own...it's everywhere...there is very little teaching to do after the initial learning to write in cursive. Now, I will say that my ds7 (who I think is likely dyslexic) is making progress on not reversing b and d ONLY when I've taken the time to intensively teach the muscle memory involved in the printing of those letters. Even though, he has picked up print easily (with the exception of those commonly reversed letters...which he does NOT reverse in cursive btw) My dd5 picked up print before I could teach her cursive. (She was born with a pencil in her hand.) I make sure she's writing with correct directionality and go on to teach her cursive when it's her turn for "school."

 

In 2nd/3rd grade when other kids are taking time out to learn cursive, we won't have to.

 

 

The biggest drawback to cursive first, ime, has been the sheer lack of materials geared towards k-2nd grade in cursive.

[Homemaker]

THanks for responding. After I posted that question, I did a little big of research and decided I will go with the cursive first. One thing that really stood out to me was that cursive was taught first until the 1940s and then switched to print. And mostly all the handwriting I have seen from people from era have beautiful handwriting.

[TandLMommy28]

I had every intention of doing cursive first but my daughter taught herself to write the whole alphabet by copying from books when she was very young (not even three)... so she obviously learned to print. She is now asking to learn to write "the pretty way" so we are working on cursive!

[Rosie_0801]

I'm going to go with cursive first as well. Teaching print, then just as they get the hang of it, starting cursive seems like I'd be doing the same job twice. I think I'll have enough to do ;)

 

Rosie

[abrightmom]

Ladies,

 

What will you use to teach cursive first? I'm intrigued. . . are you going to use Cursive First which is, I think, from the SWR people?

 

My kids have done well with HWT (not cursive yet but I'm going to break their rules and use it earlier than suggested :D) and it is an easy to teach program. I don't LOVE how it looks although I realize that we all end up with our own "style" in the long run anyway!

 

I'm definitely curious about options though! Please share!!!

[Amy Jo]

Cursive. I started DS7 with italics, which went well, he really enjoyed switching to cursive though. DS6 is the reason I decided cursive first, because all the letters [can] start at the SAME POINT. LOL. And Don Potter's article was a huge influence. I can see how cursive first might have helped my DS7. Now I just have to work on MY cursive. :scared::cursing::banghead::crying:

[krismoose]

I went with cursive first for all the same reasons listed by 3blessingmom. (Btw, If you can get your hands on a copy of Cursive First, the history of handwriting in the US is fascinating.) I have been stunned at how well my ds has been improving over the past year. And now he's teaching himself to print :) My 3 yo dd is also copying everything in print now, so I'll just help her as it comes up, and teach cursive in kindergarten.

We're using Handwriting Help For Kids "Create Cursive" book, available at Rainbow Resource. It's written by an occupational therapist for kids who struggle with it, and though it's intended for older students, it's perfect for K because the font is larger and the words are very simple, not the older vocab that you often find in a workbook intended for students who can already read print. I tried Cursive First when we started with SWR, but the font was too small for my ds (and we ended up abandoning SWR as well :) ) We went very slowly at first, repeating many of the first dozen pages or so (you're allowed to copy them for use with the child for whom you purchased the book) and then he was able to just complete it once and have it "stick". We take 2-3 days to complete one page, depending on hown many lines/words are on the page. Slow and steady, and he likes it and has started writing words on his own now. :)

[profmom]

It's been awhile since I've checked, but ABeka used to (and probably still does) have age-appropriate cursive materials for K and up!

[FO4UR]

I had every intention of doing cursive first but my daughter taught herself to write the whole alphabet by copying from books when she was very young (not even three)... so she obviously learned to print. She is now asking to learn to write "the pretty way" so we are working on cursive!

 

 

This is just like my dd5! For "school" work, we use cursive. She will pull out her fave story books and copy...for fun...:tongue_smilie: I don't discourage it. I just make sure she's writing the letters properly and wait until we have a "school lesson" to work on cursive, which she LOVES.

 

RE Cursive First and Abeka Cursive: I've used both. I like the Cursive First methodology. It's worth the $15 to get that. The copy masters in CF are "meh"..OK, but nothing impressive. Abeka K5 Cursive is a nice colorful workbook, and is compatable with CF.

 

I use StartWrite to generate my own handwriting and copywork pages now. I like it b/c I can vary the size and I like the Modern Cursive font. I save the pages I make so I just have to print for subsequent dc. I can cut&paste from the public domain texts online for copywork.

 

I've never used HWOT, but I like a nice slanted cursive...it's actually more natural.

 

Honestly, I bought Peterson Directed Handwriting several months ago and LOVE the concept...it was too confusing to switch gears mid-stream with my ds7 so we stick with CF methods. I think they may have a cursive first edition now...

 

Now that I've fed the curriculum junkie in all of us...:tongue_smilie:

[Tracy]

I am very interested in teaching cursive first. But here is my concern with it. My dd knew her letters, upper and lower case at 2yo. If you are teaching a 5yo his letters and how to write at the same time, it seems easier. But for a child that is already so familiar with letters in print, he is learning a new way to form letters. I didn't know about cursive first with dd, but I would like to do it with my 2yo when he is ready. But I am not convinced that it will work well in this instance.

[lovinmomma]

Peterson directed handwriting also JUST rewrote their kindergarten cursive program. That's another option. Rand is extremely helpful should you have any questions. I also like that it is a PDF, so you can change the size of the lines to bigger or smaller depending on where your child is and you can print as many copies for all of your children as you need to.

[krismoose]

tracymirko,

Fwiw, my ds recognized and knew the sounds for all the upper and lowercase letters before we started cursive. He copied print lettes on his own, I just hadn't given him formal instruction. I was wondering myself if he would be confused, but he figured out the difference very quickly between "what we read" and "how you're learning to write".

[Tracy]

tracymirko,

Fwiw, my ds recognized and knew the sounds for all the upper and lowercase letters before we started cursive. He copied print lettes on his own, I just hadn't given him formal instruction. I was wondering myself if he would be confused, but he figured out the difference very quickly between "what we read" and "how you're learning to write".

 

Thank you. That is very encouraging. I would very much like to teaching writing just one time.

[FO4UR]

I am very interested in teaching cursive first. But here is my concern with it. My dd knew her letters, upper and lower case at 2yo. If you are teaching a 5yo his letters and how to write at the same time, it seems easier. But for a child that is already so familiar with letters in print, he is learning a new way to form letters. I didn't know about cursive first with dd, but I would like to do it with my 2yo when he is ready. But I am not convinced that it will work well in this instance.

 

This has been a non-issue for us. My dd5 picked up many print letters at 2yo (and the rest at age 3)...still she is eager to do "school" in cursive.

 

I worked and worked with my ds7 (he had fm delays when we first started this journey) and his first spontaneous writing was CAPITAL PRINT. I never taught that child to print... It just all comes together when taught cursive first, early, and systematically. jme ymmv

[Tracy]

What about with a younger child that wants to write. My dd started writing when she was 3yo, and we used the Kumon books with huge letters that take up a quarter of the page. Might I have been able to teach her cursive first? (Not that I am worried about what I should have done--just gearing up for child #2.)

[FairProspects]

Okay, since no one has given the other perspective, I will give it a go.

 

I'm teaching print first and very deliberately. I am philosophically teaching printing, because as SWB noted in her writing lecture, some kids have a hard time reading plain manuscript unless they are learning to write print manuscript at the same time. My ds is very much one of these kids.

 

In terms of fine motor skills, cursive probably wins the argument because of its continous stroke motions, but if you consider reading, teaching printing first is often the best choice. There is a reason most handwriting programs begin with printing and move to cursive later, and it is not necessarily because printing is easier. ;)

[Tracy]

Okay, since no one has given the other perspective, I will give it a go.

 

I'm teaching print first and very deliberately. I am philosophically teaching printing, because as SWB noted in her writing lecture, some kids have a hard time reading plain manuscript unless they are learning to write print manuscript at the same time. My ds is very much one of these kids.

 

In terms of fine motor skills, cursive probably wins the argument because of its continous stroke motions, but if you consider reading, teaching printing first is often the best choice. There is a reason most handwriting programs begin with printing and move to cursive later, and it is not necessarily because printing is easier. ;)

 

Thank you very much for offering this other perspective. It is one that I had not considered. Although I guess that this would not be an issue with a child that is already reading?

[rwjx2khsmj]

It's been awhile since I've checked, but ABeka used to (and probably still does) have age-appropriate cursive materials for K and up!

 

They do still have their cursive program. It's what I have for my dd5 for next year.

[Medieval Mom]

We chose to do cursive first. Ds6 seems to have plucked up manuscript writing by osmosis and can now write beautifully in either cursive or manuscript. ;) I'll do cursive first again with our younger ds when the time comes. :)

[ElizabethB]

I believe in cursive first...but my daughter was 4 when she wanted to learn to write, she was not able to master cursive that young so we switched to printing. I did cursive this year with her, but it still needs work.

 

Her little brother wants to learn to spell a few words, but didn't want to learn to write early, he'll be doing cursive first next year, at the same time we will work on my daughter's cursive.

 

I use the ZB manual for older children or adults and just teach it from a whiteboard, transitioning to paper much later, you can use the online ZB worksheet maker thingy. It's a lot easier that way, I tried cursive in 1st grade from paper with several different methods and they were all a bust.

 

Don Potter does cursive first with his K students, they start from a blackboard with chalk. Their cursive is amazing by the end of the year!

Edited May 7, 2010 by ElizabethB

[Tracy]

I believe in cursive first...but my daughter was 4 when she wanted to learn to write, she was not able to master cursive that young so we switched to printing. I did cursive this year with her, but it still needs work.

 

Her little brother wants to learn to spell a few words, but didn't want to learn to write early, he'll be doing cursive first next year, at the same time we will work on my daughter's cursive.

 

I use the ZB manual for older children or adults and just teach it from a whiteboard, transitioning to paper much later, you can use the online ZB worksheet maker thingy. It's a lot easier that way, I tried cursive in 1st grade from paper with several different methods and they were all a bust.

 

Don Potter does cursive first with his K students, they start from a blackboard with chalk. Their cursive is amazing by the end of the year!

 

Thanks for this. It is very encouraging. I like the idea to start with the white board.

[FO4UR]

Okay, since no one has given the other perspective, I will give it a go.

 

I'm teaching print first and very deliberately. I am philosophically teaching printing, because as SWB noted in her writing lecture, some kids have a hard time reading plain manuscript unless they are learning to write print manuscript at the same time. My ds is very much one of these kids.

 

In terms of fine motor skills, cursive probably wins the argument because of its continous stroke motions, but if you consider reading, teaching printing first is often the best choice. There is a reason most handwriting programs begin with printing and move to cursive later, and it is not necessarily because printing is easier. ;)

 

 

That is a valid concern.

 

My ds7 has been a late, struggling reader. He has lots of markers for dyslexia though...and from my perspective cursive hasn't been a hindrance...quite the opposite.

 

That said, I have noticed bdpgq reversals are remediating ONLY with intentional teaching of the *muscle memory* of printing those letters...the kicker in that is it's knowing the cursive formation is instrumental in learning the print...so it's a circular argument for me and my ds7.

 

After all this, I will start with cursive for my younger two also.

Edited May 8, 2010 by 3blessingmom
correcting spelling

[Rosie_0801]

I wish I could get a series of four piece puzzles with the print and cursive versions of both the upper and lower case letters. S'pose I'll have to make them myself...

 

Rosie

[truebluexf]

I would love to teach both my older kids cursive next year...it wouldn't truly be 'first' but it would be early, at least for DD1. What is the best curriculum for that? I had no idea Abeka even had a cursive curriculum lol. The only other I'd really seen is Cursive First. What I would really love is a workbook all laid out for me, like HWT. I'd use them but I'd kind of prefer the more standard 3-line format for the paper, and smaller lines. Any ideas?

[abrightmom]

:lurk5: I like this thread . . .

[LoveBaby]

:lurk5: I like this thread . . .

 

:iagree:

[lovinmomma]

I would love to teach both my older kids cursive next year...it wouldn't truly be 'first' but it would be early, at least for DD1. What is the best curriculum for that? I had no idea Abeka even had a cursive curriculum lol. The only other I'd really seen is Cursive First. What I would really love is a workbook all laid out for me, like HWT. I'd use them but I'd kind of prefer the more standard 3-line format for the paper, and smaller lines. Any ideas?

 

Peterson Directed? I talked about it earlier in the thread.

[Medieval Mom]

I found some great free worksheets called Kidzone Cursive. Ds loved them! They just teach the lowercase letters. After ds had these down, I taught him the uppercase letters. I also purchased Educational Fontware, which comes with many cursive fonts, including Cursive First and Peterson (also Abeka, Pentime, Zaner Bloser, etc.). At that point, we switched to simple copywork, with me watching every step of the way. I didn't feel that a program was necessary, but the Kidzone cursive pages really were a hit! :)

Edited May 8, 2010 by Medieval Mom

[FO4UR]

I would love to teach both my older kids cursive next year...it wouldn't truly be 'first' but it would be early, at least for DD1. What is the best curriculum for that? I had no idea Abeka even had a cursive curriculum lol. The only other I'd really seen is Cursive First. What I would really love is a workbook all laid out for me, like HWT. I'd use them but I'd kind of prefer the more standard 3-line format for the paper, and smaller lines. Any ideas?

 

I liked using the Abeka workbook with the Cursive First tm.

 

Memoria Press has a nice looking cursive workbook, but I've never used it.