WWE and cursive

[aim4balance]

I hope this isn't a silly q...but when you teach cursive, do you also keep doing whatever writing program you have (I chose WWE for my rising 2nd grader)? Or do you take a break from the WWE and substitute cursive for the year?

 

Thanks for the help!

S

[Prose]

It's not silly because I have wondered the same thing. Listening in on this one :bigear:

[boscopup]

I'm doing cursive as a separate subject. We're no where near ready to copy in cursive. When he is ready, I'll ease him into it by first giving him the copywork written in our chosen cursive font, and later have him copy from the print version. Granted, by time we get there, I think copywork will be done in WWE. I think it stops around week 28 or 29.

[Stacie in UT]

We always do both our writing program and our handwriting program at the same time. We just do small amounts of work in each on a daily basis.

 

Just putting a plug in for WWE 1-4. Have had wonderful results here. I even used the program with a struggling middle schooler for two years, with the progress being just what was promised by Susan. Thank you Well Trained Mind.

 

Stacie :001_smile:

[NittanyJen]

For DS just turned 8, I am doing handwriting as a separate subject.

 

For DS 10, I recopy the WWE copywork (he was pulled out of PS in Feb and I started him in WWE1 b/c of terrible writing skills, so we do one "week" per day; it is working VERY well, and we just started WWE2-- already seeing results in his writing skills and listening ability) onto normal notebook paper, in cursive. He then does his copywork in cursive instead of continuing with his cursive program (I used to afterschool him with HWT).

 

It depends-- if cursive is a new skill or s struggling skill, I would NOT layer it onto what the child is already trying to concentrate on in WWE. If it is a mastered skill, it's fine to have them do the copywork in cursive.

 

Having them trying to juggle too many skills at one time can be counterproductive, depending on the child and the goal of the lesson.

[hollyhock]

I do both as well. Once they are pretty good at cursive, I start having them do some of their other subjects in cursive, like dictation or spelling.

[aim4balance]

Ok so if you do both are both written into your schedule 4x/week? WWE goes by 4 lessons per week, and I was considering using cursive first but don't know how often they recommend doing lessons each week yet. (I'm also curious if cursive first is recommended even if the children are writing print already).

[boscopup]

I'm doing WWE2 3 days per week (combining day 1 and day 2), and we do cursive 5 days per week. It's really not that much writing. The other day, we did our cursive practice outside in the sandbox. :D

[NittanyJen]

I do WWE2 four days per week, and I have scheduled cursive 3x/week.

 

The cursive takes him about 10 min, tops, to do 2 pages in HWT, very neatly, which is a huge improvement for him (he has dysgraphia, and we have come a looooooong way). Cursive is actually easier for him than printing, which is why I started him on it at the beginning of second grade, along with typing.

[aim4balance]

This is very helpful, thanks!