Lefties and cursive

[popmom]

I have a 13 yr old daughter who is a lefty and HATES to write in cursive. I can totally understand why it is so awkward for her. I still insist that she work out of a practice workbook and do her grammar work in cursive. Pretty much everything else she prints.

 

I am trying to figure out whether I'm expecting too much or not enough. Anyone know what 7th and 8th grade public schools are expecting these days? I remember being required to do much of my work in cursive.

 

Apparently, a few of my friends aren't requiring much cursive at all for their boys. Their thinking is that as long as they can sign their name that is really all they need to know. One friend believes her son has dysgraphia, so I can understand why her standard is what it is for him. I don't have that excuse!

[Purple Sage]

I am a lefty and I HATE cursive! Gets ink all over my hand. That being said though, my kids didn't use cursive past 3/4 grade when they were in PS. In fact, by 6th grade, most everything was done on computers!

[Halcyon]

My 8 yo is a lefty and he has struggled with cursive too. He SO wants to do it "right" and he practices a lot, but it's hard for him. I wrote a blog post about it a while back here. Right now we're taking a few weeks off and then we'll resume HWT. He does the workbook very well, but when it comes to narration, it's much slower for him than print.

[popmom]

Also got some feedback from some friends w/ kids in middle school, and they report similarly--that no cursive is required, and much work is done on computers. I guess I can lay off my lefty a little, but it just bothers me to think that she'll never really master cursive. Guess I just need to get over that???

[AFwife Claire]

I am a lefty, and I hated cursive as well. I was never very fast at it. Somewhere in high school, my handwriting evolved into a modified italics, with a backwards slant. This is very easy for me, and very quick. My high school teachers never complained about my writing--I don't think it was (is) difficult to read. So maybe let her find more of her own style? Experiment with different ways of connecting the letters, or a different slant? I think the main thing you need handwriting for is to be able to take notes, and for that you do need to be quick, as well as be able to read your own handwriting at least!

[Kirstin]

Do you lefties mind italics very much? I ask because while my oldest two boys are right handed, my youngest two, so ironically, are lefties. Xander (5 1/2) is doing really excellently well with A Reason For Handwriting so far. I'll be moving my older two toward cursive, but I'm wondering if I shouldn't for Xander and Ryker and if I should just focus on Italics when it's time to do something beyond printing. I think Italics look nice and it's easy to turn it into a nice looking cursive when necessary. Right? LOL

[wapiti]

My lefty is doing well with this workbook she started recently:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cursive-Writing-Skills-Left-Handed-Students/dp/083882563X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295670894&sr=8-3

 

though I suppose the proof will be in the pudding.

[redsquirrel]

I stopped cursive and all handwriting instruction with my leftie when he was in fourth grade. It was torture. He prints. He is a fine printer. I know some local schools here aren't even teaching cursive any longer. It is all being replaced by keyboarding. I think he can print if he had to, but it's just not that big a deal to me. I do insist on neat handwriting.

[elinnea]

I'm a lefty and my middle child is as well. I get compliments on my handwriting all the time. :001_smile: I've had both of my boys do the Getty-Dbay italics workbooks. Didn't seem to be any more difficult for more left-handed son and actually he has nicer handwriting than his older brother.

[Corraleno]

My lefty also does GD Italic — I actually let him choose what style he wanted to learn and he chose that one. I have the Educational Fontware software, so I make custom handwriting practice sheets for him. He has some dysgraphic issues as well — he used to hold his pen/pencil in a death grip, which made his hand really tired quite quickly — but now he uses colored fountain pens, which he thinks are fun plus it requires a lighter touch (or you'll poke holes in the paper). His handwriting has improved dramatically in the last year, even though he only does a sentence or two per day. (And he's also learning to type.)

 

Jackie

[Lady Florida.]

I'm a lefty and hate cursive. My cursive is awful, even when I try to write in my best handwriting.

 

Something a lot of people (even lefties) don't always realize is why cursive is difficult. We are pushing the writing instrument across the page. Righties pull the instrument. It's much easier to pull it than to push it. I never knew this until I read it when I was using HWOT with ds (a righty btw), but it was my light bulb moment.

 

As far as advice, I'd make sure she can read it, and write enough cursive to sign her name. As an adult, the only time I use cursive is for my signature.

[Dinsfamily]

Just to present the other side...

 

I'm a lefty and always write in cursive when I have a choice. It is easier and faster for me...not to mention my cursive looks very nice. All of that is due to the fact that I had a left-handed teacher in the 4th grade who held me to very high standards and made me practice a lot. Once I got my hand used to what I wanted it to do, cursive became automatic and fluid for me. I'm very thankful to him.

 

FTR, he was one of my favorite teachers and didn't have a mean demeanor at all. He just knew that I could do it and expected it.

[MamaT]

I've had both of my boys do the Getty-Dbay italics workbooks. Didn't seem to be any more difficult for more left-handed son and actually he has nicer handwriting than his older brother.

 

 

I also used Getty-Dubay for my right-handers (four children) and my lefties (two children). While they did master cursive and can do it if they have to, they now print EVERYTHING and that is okay by me.

[Purple Sage]

My current handwriting, as an adult, is somewhere between italics and printing, with an occasional blip of cursive thrown in. It is very legible. I had a teacher in high school who told me that it was painful for her to watch me try to write and I should just figure out something that wasn't so much work for me, so I did!

[Hedgehog]

My lefty is doing well with this workbook she started recently:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cursive-Writing-Skills-Left-Handed-Students/dp/083882563X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295670894&sr=8-3

 

though I suppose the proof will be in the pudding.

 

My 11yo is using this too. It was hard for her to start with, but it's worked brilliantly and she now loves her handwriting. She's nearly finished the book.

[Catwoman]

I have a 13 yr old daughter who is a lefty and HATES to write in cursive. I can totally understand why it is so awkward for her.

 

Sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense to me. I come from a family with quite a few lefties, and everyone has beautiful handwriting.

 

There is no reason why a left-handed person can't write as nicely as a right-handed person. I don't curl my arm around in a weird way, or have any bizarre movement issues. I write the same way as a right-handed person would, just with my left hand.

 

Cat

[justamouse]

I have a lefty (and Dh is a lefty so he helped me greatly with teaching Ds)

 

1. fountain pens for leftys

2. clipboards and legal pads (the binding is always on the right)

 

it's a righty world and you really have to think about what aggravates her and see if you can help her find away around it.

 

my Ds 11 the lefty and he has beautiful handwriting.

[Lady Florida.]

Kudos to the teachers of you lefties who don't have any problems. That's what it come down to: how you're taught.

 

Here's a little explanation on why it can be difficult to write left handed, and how to help lefties learn correctly.

http://www.handedness.org/action/leftwrite.html

 

http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/kids_help.html

 

http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/articles/index.pl?read=2984

Edited January 24, 2011 by floridamom

[blakereese]

My lefty is doing well with this workbook she started recently:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cursive-Writing-Skills-Left-Handed-Students/dp/083882563X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295670894&sr=8-3

 

though I suppose the proof will be in the pudding.

 

Can you tell me more about this workbook? How does it teach to lefties? And what is the cursive font like? Thanks for any info. :)

 

I want to start my son with cursive soon, and want to make it as easy as I can on him AND on me. ;)

[Hedgehog]

Can you tell me more about this workbook? How does it teach to lefties? And what is the cursive font like? Thanks for any info. :)

 

I want to start my son with cursive soon, and want to make it as easy as I can on him AND on me. ;)

 

The book teaches cursive much as any other book does - a little word about sitting right, paper in a certain position etc.

 

The first 9 pages have exercises which are practising forming different shapes that occur in letters along the lines - curves; wind tunnel circles; the push-pull zigzags; then a "U" shape both ways round (dips and arches), forming different patterns. After that comes practice of the letter shapes, lowercase first followed by uppercase.

 

The cursive style here is very similar to any that a right-handed student will do, except that the letter slant backwards. This was the key thing that appealed to me when I was choosing a cursive book for my daughter. It seems to me that it is much easier for a left-handed student, who already has to push his/her pen across the page, to have the paper slanted the "other" way, and to have the letters leaning backwards. They still have to push the pen across, but there are no bothers with smudging their efforts as they go along and for my daughter, it is a natural way for her to write.

 

The rest of the book continues with practising all the letters, joining up, words, phrases and finally gives the student space to copy standard Times New Roman book print into cursive without the example in front of them.

 

Like I said, my daughter initially hated this book, but now she sees the results of her efforts - and she's got used to handwriting practice - she loves doing it. If I knew how to put photos on here I'd show you - but I'm a techno-twit!