Handwriting ..... I'd love your thoughts!

[Mom2OandE]

My plan for my 2nd and 4th grader were to order HWT (Cursive success for the 4th grader). I was thinking about it though and wasn't sure if I really needed to. Obviously they both write at this age. Would it be better to just have them do copywork to practice? DD (4th) was taught cursive in public last year - she could practice print and cursive with copywork. Or is better to go with a curr to reinforce the techniques?

 

I'd love your thought!

[raceNzanesmom]

As long as they form all their letters correctly, copywork works well for practice. For a 2nd grader, I prefer to use something where the work to be copied is already on the page. The 4th grader should be fine transferring info from a book or other written work. Currclick.com has great copywork books, some even free, I think. When you need to teach your younger one cursive, I like HWT and Cheerful Cursive.

 

hth.

 

ETA: You might want to print a sample of the alphabet for them to have near their work station. That way they have a visual if they need help.

[Mom2OandE]

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it.

 

I'm so on the fence. The good thing about HWT is that they would get the specific practice every day. I may just go with HWT and then I can always skip the formal work next year.

[raceNzanesmom]

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it.

 

I'm so on the fence. The good thing about HWT is that they would get the specific practice every day. I may just go with HWT and then I can always skip the formal work next year.

 

You're welcome. :D

 

My youngest, 2nd grader last year, did both. He went through the grade 2 workbook and did poetry copywork- usually c/w on Tues/Thurs, HWT on Mon/Wed, add a pic to poetry on Friday.

[VeritasMama]

The HWT workbooks do include some copywork, not right away but later on.

 

THe cursive used in the Memoria Press books is beautiful, and they also have cursive copybooks.

[LindaOz]

My plan for my 2nd and 4th grader were to order HWT (Cursive success for the 4th grader). I was thinking about it though and wasn't sure if I really needed to. Obviously they both write at this age. Would it be better to just have them do copywork to practice? DD (4th) was taught cursive in public last year - she could practice print and cursive with copywork. Or is better to go with a curr to reinforce the techniques?

 

I'd love your thought!

 

I have a 2nd and 4th grader too, and I was recently wondering whether or not to continue with handwriting as a separate subject. I have decided that their copywork, if it is neat and well-formed, is enough. What I did today, actually, was to tell them that if their copywork was done beautifully then I would know that they didn't have to do an extra handwriting sheet. Well, that worked. They both completed lovely copywork passages. I'll be using that one more often ;) .

 

My 2nd grader hasn't started cursive yet though, so I will probably reintroduce some sort of handwriting resource to teach cursive when it is time.

[Cinder]

I personally don't care so much *how* they form their letters as long as it is neat and legible. Ds1 did italics for manuscript but developed his own cursive because he was impatient. He has nice handwriting. Ds2 used HWT. Even though we did all the workbooks his handwriting was still horrible until we worked on daily copywork. Now it's legible at least. Dd has not taken well to any handwriting program but her manuscript is good so I haven't pushed it. She's at the age where I'd like to introduce cursive; just haven't figured out the best approach with her.

 

If your dc have decent handwriting I think copywork might be enough. Doing HWT might work if they learned with it and are used to those shapes. Otherwise introducing it now might cause more trouble if they are comfortable with something different.