Cursive or printing?

[kwickimom]

My rising 3rd grader briefly learned cursive at ps last year. There are a few letters she still has trouble with. Should I have her print all of her copywork until we get through the ZB cursive and it comes easily to her or should I try and get it all in cursive so that it is practice?

 

I dont want her to get frustrated. Since this is our first year doing dictation I was for sure going to have her print that until her cursive is better because I want her focused on dictation. As for copywork?

 

At what point do you require all cursive or do you?

[everlastingstarflower]

We started cursive last year but, we only the free printable sheets that I found on-line. My dd has letters that she does not form correctly and she gets frustrated because she cannot remember how to make all of the letters. This year (she's in 3rd grade), I bought a handwriting workbook for her to complete hoping that it will help her to incorporate cursive into her other areas of writing. Right now, she will occasionally write her spelling words in cursive on tests for the letters she remembers but, since I feel that I haven't done a good job of CONSISTENTLY making her write in cursive because of these issues, I don't make her write in cursive all of the time. As we go through the handwriting workbook, I will encourage her to use cursive writing more often with the hopes that by the time the book is finished, she'll write in cursive most of the time. I think that consistent practice is the key and since she hasn't had that (hoping the workbook with help to remedy this), I don't feel I can require cursive all of the time right now. But, slow and steady wins the race so hopefully, we'll get there eventually! :D

[Ellie]

Practice makes perfect. Don't you think you could help her with the strokes she's having trouble with, even without ZB? And then haver her do all her copywork in cursive.

[SnegurochkaL]

My daughter learned cursive from the beginning, in K. She write most of her copywork in cursive. We used SWR program and Cursive First for LA. I used a salt box for my daughter to write low case letters before she would practice on paper. I also used some workbooks for hand training(tracing some elements of letters etc).

[thowell]

Practice makes perfect. Don't you think you could help her with the strokes she's having trouble with, even without ZB? And then haver her do all her copywork in cursive.

 

 

:iagree: I would spend the first few weeks concentrating on the letters she has trouble with and then off and going. I will say that my girls have been taught cursive from the start so I might would feel differently if they had not.

[kwickimom]

I could use all the writing as practice, but I think that will end up taking too much and time and frustrating her.

 

I am going to go through ZB as quick as we can. She doesnt connect the letters well either. I talked to my friend who is a 2nd grade ps teacher at my dd's old school and she said they have no formal program for writing at the school and it is not even required that they teach it in 2nd, but they just did it real quick with them. So I think I will just run through, and let her do some copywork in cursive, but leave notebooking and dictation in printing for now.

 

thanks for the input!

[mamajp4]

Hi,

 

My son has never really "succeeded" with any one program. Mostly my fault because of all the switching around I do. He started with HWOT, then BJU Handwriting, and now Cursive First. I kept him from cursive past the "normal" time, because I felt like his printing was never mastered. However, last year (he was 9 yo and 4th grade), I just made the switch to cursive which he has enjoyed so much better and is doing surprisingly well! Now, if he prints (which he tries not to since he is so proud of his cursive), I just correct as we go...only as needed. It has simplified things for me (one who ALWAYS complicates things!) Good Luck!

 

Julie