Sue G in PA Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I mean, has anyone simply taught their dc the letters w/out using a purchased curriculum or book like Handwriting w/out Tears or A REason for...or...whatever? If you did, what was the sequence of the letters taught and the sequence of "connectors"? OR did you just teach a letter at a time and not really care about in what order? I don't want to spend any more money on a cursive book but it is time to start teaching ds8 and dd6 (she really wants to learn). Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 http://www.logicofenglish.com/products/handwriting/cursive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I did not buy a curriculum for print and I will not for cursive. I tried a program I got from Scholastics dollar days, my son hated it. He wanted to wrote like me and the worksheets were not like me. I taught him his name first. That is really as far as we got. I think we will just do a letter at a time, connecting that letter to itself across the page. Then start doing words when he knows enough letters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 For my older dd, I just used a desk strip with the letters on it for her reference. She started slowly using cursive in her copywork. By the end of the year, she had beautiful handwriting. She was motivated to learn the cursive on her own to avoid having to use a handwriting book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I taught both of my kids cursive without a book. Both kids could print and read decently before I taught them. One was 7 and the other was 5. I taught letters individually, grouping similar letters together. For example, I taught a, c, d, and g together. I taught m and n together. I taught q and f together. Each day I reviewed all old letters and taught 1-3 more new letters. By day 2 or 3 the child knew enough letters to form simple words and I taught how to connect the letters. I had the child practice the each new letter by itself until she could remember how to form the letter. Then I had the child practice writing a few words with the new letter and any old troublesome letters. (I made up words on the spot.) I saved the "top connector" letters for last: b, o, v, w. Then I taught how to start all the previous letters from a top connector. For each kid, it took about two weeks to go through the entire alphabet. Then I had the kid write the alphabet (connected) once a day for a few more days. Then I dropped cursive as a formal subject and let the kids write in cursive or print as they choose. Sometimes they write in cursive, sometimes in print. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 My favorite alphabet pages are these from Jan Brett. I my youngest went through these at the beginning of the school year. The older didn't want to be left out so she used them for learning to write with her left hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Borrow Writing Road to Reading from the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I taught my kids my cursive writing. I started with their name. I lightly wrote it in pencil on the top of each work page (every subject) and they traced it. Once they could write their first and last name in cursive we moved on to other letters. It was a very painless way to teach my daughter. It isn't working so well with my dysgraphic son BUT the good news is that, if nothing else, he'll be able to sign his name in cursive. LOL. The kids used those Jan Brett cursive pages also for fun. They are great practice. My cursive is fairly traditional so they match up pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I just printed off free worksheets from ZB http://www.zaner-bloser.com/zaner-bloser-handwriting/zaner-bloser-handwriting-zb-fontsonline Her name, one letter at a time. No real formality to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I used Start Write to print off worksheets. We went in alphabetical order after learning her name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manyblessings Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I used the startwrite program and simply had her trace the cursive alphabet a few times. Then I simply threw her into cursive copywork. I type out sentences from one of her reading books and she copies them on lines below. It has worked out way better than our attempt at using A Reason For. She's writing beautifully after only a few weeks of doing the copywork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Thanks everyone. I think I just needed the confidence that I could teach w/out a book. :D I printed some sheets today using one of the worksheet creators that a PP mentioned. I started with a and will do c, d and g next week and have them try connecting those 4 letters. I also have WRTR which I know teaches cursive in a sequence (thanks for the reminder). My dc did well with it today...ds8 a bit better than dd6 (she couldn't quite "get" the connections). I love Jan Bret's pages...I think dd6 will enjoy those b/c of the pictures. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 WRTR is all you need to teach handwriting. I'm so glad you have it! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 WRTR is all you need to teach handwriting. I'm so glad you have it! :-) I just purchased it, in fact. I am still trying to wrap my brain around it...the spelling and everything...but I like what I see. It is a bit easier since we had previously used PR but had to sell it due to financial reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 The handwriting section is the only part I have fully implemented so far. I like all of the book: reading, writing, handwriting as well as the spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 What I've done now is rip my book apart and always carry a chapter in my bag to read, if I get stuck waiting anywhere. The book is dense with information. Every word counts. Reading it over and over really helps. Not because it so hard, but because it contains SO much information. I'm only starting to understand just how much information is packed into that book. You know, besides the Bible, and The Encyclopedia of Country Living, I'd have to say, that when it comes to a book that is an amazing volume, WRTR might be my 3rd vote for what to bring to a desert island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I just printed off free worksheets from ZB http://www.zaner-bloser.com/zaner-bloser-handwriting/zaner-bloser-handwriting-zb-fontsonline Her name, one letter at a time. No real formality to it. Thanks for the suggestion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 No. I wanted dc to learn Italic handwriting, which I like better and learning too. I got Getty Dubay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethG Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I bought startwrite software (startwrite.com) and made my own practice sheets. I followed no plan and it worked great. I'd make for example a page of uppercase B and another page of lowercase b and another page of lowercase vowels and a 4th page of "connectors" as I called it where we'd practice Ba. Be. Bi. Bo. Bu. We did 4 pages of my making daily and it's worked great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 If you already have curriculum from an older child, it could be used as a guide from which to teach. You three could form the letters on a whiteboard or whatever suits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I use a whiteboard and (loosely) the sequence from HWT that I taught my older 2. We start with c to c and move to the other c starter letters. I do have them start all the lowercase on the baseline. CAPS stay the same as print. Lots of modeling and then copywork for the rest. You can do it either way, by stroke or by alpha order. I don;t think it really makes any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Dd is learning this way, no handwriting book. I take a few of her spelling words and show her how to form each letter, then the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertmum Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I got some nice printed desk strips and letter formation worksheets from www.twinkl.co.uk. (it's free if you print your own stuff, a small charge if you want things printed and mailed to you). Because I don't have a whiteboard I just printed the pages with letter formation and others and laminated them. This way I can use whiteboard pens and works just the same. I had bought other workbooks but my son didn't like the printed format -he wanted to do cursive- so that is what we are doing. The letters: a,c,d, first. Them m,n,h; then i,l,t, u,v,w... You get the idea. I avoid teaching the letters "b" and "d" at the same time, or "p" and "q". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 For my older dd, I just used a desk strip with the letters on it for her reference. She started slowly using cursive in her copywork. By the end of the year, she had beautiful handwriting. She was motivated to learn the cursive on her own to avoid having to use a handwriting book. This is what I did with my older kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Peach Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I use this website for my DD. It's a worksheet creator. It has worked well for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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