Cursive or Getty-Dubay?

[EmilyGF]

I was all set to go with GD Italic until I worried that my children wouldn't be able to read cursive if we went to Europe.

 

But GD is so beautiful! The point of handwriting is to communicate and it seems like (in the USA, at least) cursive is communicating less and less.

 

What would you do?

 

Thanks, Emily

[Medieval Mom]

We chose cursive, with the idea that we can always pick up italic easily as "calligraphy" later. (I picked up italics in a few days in junior high...) I'm a cursive die-hard, though :D

[chiguirre]

In many countries, cursive looks like G-D italic. I picked it specifically because it looks the most like my Hungarian dad's beautiful handwriting.

[Medieval Mom]

Good point. Handwriting style vary QUITE A BIT from country to country, region to region, family to family. I've picked up several styles of writing so that my European relatives and friends will easily read my writing. I use another style for the folks at home. ;)

[nmoira]

We're very happy with Getty-Dubay. :)

 

I have DD the Elder practice reading cursive occasionally (probably about once a month, when I remember) by printing up some pictures of hand-written letters from Google Images. Limiting the search to "large" images gives the best results. When I'm in a particularly mean mood, I give her a letter with text written in two directions, like this. :tongue_smilie: Oh, the looks I get.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I taught GD, but I had purchased some cursive letter strips from the teacher store and kept those on the wall of our school area. Plus, I wrote notes and directions in my cursive so they would get more exposure. It took longer for them to learn it than if we used that for our handwriting course, but I am happy with our decision. My kids have neat, legible handwriting. They get compliments on it all the time.

[nansk]

Like Ellen and Moira said, you can teach your dc to read traditional cursive, but write in cursive-italics.

 

I wrote in cursive on the white board when I taught dd to read using Blend Phonics. So she can read my cursive very well. I don't think she will be able to read the cursive that Moira linked, though.

 

(BTW, Moira, please share how it helps to be able to read cursive written both ways. I am really curious.)

 

Although it is possible to learn italics later in life, imho, it is better to write in italics from the start, because it allows the writer to maintain legibility even when writing fast (like when taking an exam.) Some forms of italic are very similar to roundhand cursive, which (imo) makes them even more beautiful - take a look at the Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting samples, for instance.

Edited July 2, 2010 by nansk

[Corraleno]

I printed out samples of lots of different handwriting styles and let the kids choose the one they liked — they're the ones who'll be writing that way for the next 60 years or so. DS picked Getty-Dubay and my girly-girl DD picked a curly cursive style. I did teach my DS how to "read" cursive, even though he doesn't write that way himself.

 

Jackie

[nmoira]

 

(BTW, Moira, please share how it helps to be able to read cursive written both ways. I am really curious.)

It probably doesn't matter much, but I like to provide cursive writing samples of varying quality and from different time periods. Who knows when a skill might prove useful?

[nansk]

It probably doesn't matter much, but I like to provide cursive writing samples of varying quality and from different time periods. Who knows when a skill might prove useful?

 

Thanks for the quick reply! Yes, I agree with this.

[mcconnellboys]

I've used GD with both my boys and I had already modified my own handwriting to resemble GD before I found it. It just makes sense to me in the way the joins are done. I find it much simpler to use in writing quickly, too. I think it's better for notetaking, etc. down the road.... You can buy something written in standard cursive, or print out some copywork sheets, etc. to give your children practice with reading that style of writing.

[Tracy]

I want my kids to learn traditional cursive, because I have old letters dating back to the 1930s from my grandparents, and I want them to be able to read those. Additionally, before I had kids, I did a lot of family history research, and I want them to be able to read the old documents. Sure, you can have them transcribed, but there is something special about being able to read them in the hand they were written.

[MeganW]

I printed out samples of lots of different handwriting styles and let the kids choose the one they liked — they're the ones who'll be writing that way for the next 60 years or so. DS picked Getty-Dubay and my girly-girl DD picked a curly cursive style. I did teach my DS how to "read" cursive, even though he doesn't write that way himself.

 

Jackie

 

May I ask what curriculum you used for the "curly cursive" style? To print out the samples, did you just print a sample from every curriculum you could find?

[Medieval Mom]

May I ask what curriculum you used for the "curly cursive" style? To print out the samples, did you just print a sample from every curriculum you could find?

 

Check out Educational Fontware. Even if you do not end up buying the font cds, the samples there will help you see many different styles in one place. :)

[MeganW]

Check out Educational Fontware. Even if you do not end up buying the font cds, the samples there will help you see many different styles in one place. :)

 

 

THANK YOU!!

[EmilyGF]

Thanks for the idea about cursive reading assignments. I'm going with GD.

 

Emily

[Medieval Mom]

THANK YOU!!

 

You're welcome! :)