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Memoria Press - New American Cursive?


Mommy22alyns
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Has anyone used this yet? I got a MP catalogue a few days ago and was excited to see this. The print is bigger and "cleaner" than other cursive books I've seen. Becca's handwriting is progressing really well for her age, and she's been begging me for permission to "write fancy."

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I haven't used it yet, but I ordered and received it. I thought it looked nicer than HWT cursive. It's attractive, imo, modern and spirited.

 

I mix print and cursive myself, though, so I guess I'm biased and not the best judge.

 

The description mentioned that the slight slant was less tiring than the straight up and down form, which HWT uses. Well, we'll see!

 

I want something easy for my ds., a lefty with skill delalys. It's ok with me if it's not the traditional cursive form for the large letters. As long as he learns cursive, it's ok with me.

 

If it doesn't work out I'll go with HWT. I thought I'd be daring and try something new first:tongue_smilie: I hope the clouds of regret don't rain down upon me, though.

 

Anyone else order it?

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I just ordered two copies of it last night...I can't wait to see it! The samples look very similar to my natural style of writing, and it looks like it will be easy for my kids to transition to. I'm hoping it doesn't take too long to ship! I'm looking forward to seeing the workbooks.

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They (NAC) also offer Startwrite-NAC edition so that you can make your own worksheet in NAC-type cursive. It comes with print font too. And they offer it at $30, which is $10 less than Startwrite 5.0.

 

I may get this instead, and develop my own worksheet, instead of paying $22.95 for a consumable book.

 

I want to be able to use this across curiculum

 

Dian

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Can you tell me more about Startwrite?

 

Startwrite is a computer program that enables you to create your own copywork or handwriting worksheets.

 

There are a few different fonts available here: Startwrite

 

And the New American Cursive is here: New American Cursive

 

The benefit would be that you can use the specific font in your history, science, etc.

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And the New American Cursive is here: New American Cursive

 

Does it only contain that one font?

 

I called the company and yes, it does only contain the one font.

 

If you want to use StartWrite 5.0 with that font, you can order the New American Cursive font directly from StartWrite.com. It costs $9 and it is available as a download to your computer. The NAC font can then be used with your StartWrite CD. Then you have the best of both worlds. Except for price that is. :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: whoops. It contains only the one cursive font and one manuscript font.

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  • 1 year later...
Two questions:

 

1. How Christian is NAC?

 

2. Can the NAC way of writing cursive be taught through the use of the StartWrite program alone?

 

Tara

 

 

 

To your first question, I'm not sure. All I know for certain is that the NAC copybooks do contain Bible verses.

 

To your second, I believe that it can. StartWrite is the only thing we've used, and it's worked well to teach Becca cursive. You have to put together the beginner sheets yourself, but there are options on SW for starting dots, guiding arrows, etc. So I don't think the copybook is necessary if you can put in the time to make up your own worksheets.

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  • 2 years later...

"If you want to use StartWrite 5.0 with that font, you can order the New American Cursive font directly from StartWrite.com. It costs $9 and it is available as a download to your computer. The NAC font can then be used with your StartWrite CD. Then you have the best of both worlds. Except for price that is."

 

I think NAC is beautiful, and would like to be able to use it for all my copywork assignments. However, I have a Mac, and so I cannot purchase the NAC StartWrite software, which is only available for PC. I have emailed StartWrite itself about purchasing NAC as an additional font with StartWrite 5.0, and they told me that they could not sell me the font.

 

Has anyone else had success in purchasing NAC for StartWrite 5.0? Is there any other way that I can use this software with NAC on my Mac?

 

plain jane -- if you see this, can you tell me how long ago you purchased NAC for StartWrite 5.0, and how you went about the process?

 

Thank you!

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My daughter is doing very well with NAC and is now a good way through NAC 2. There is a secular version of book 2 and we are doing that b/c it has American quotes in it and we are doing American History. I don't remember any verses in Book 1 but I could be wrong about that. And the third books is about manners and I'm not sure if there is Scripture in that one.....We really like it except for the capital T, F, and I. I just let her write those a different way. We don't own the StartWrite font yet but I have the cd I bought years ago. I mainly use our Mac computers so it is a pain and I remember it being more complicated to work with than I thought it would be but that was an older version. Maybe it is more user-friendly now....

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If you wanted to start an older child in the copybooks to practice cursive, would you begin with book 1 or 2?

 

I am starting my dd8 in book 2. From what I understand all of the letters are reviewed before the copywork starts. The book is on the way from Rainbow Resource right now. If someone else doesn't answer your question, I will post back when I receive it.

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I am starting my dd8 in book 2. From what I understand all of the letters are reviewed before the copywork starts. The book is on the way from Rainbow Resource right now. If someone else doesn't answer your question, I will post back when I receive it.

 

Thanks. Please let me know. I have one with atrocious handwriting and need to focus on it.

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Thanks. Please let me know. I have one with atrocious handwriting and need to focus on it.

 

Okay, go with book 1. I'm sending book two back. You have to start with book 1 no matter what the dc's age. I wish I'd found the New American Cursive website before I ordered. It explains it very plainly on that site.

 

*sigh*

 

I would also recommend just buying the software. If my dd hadn't already seen the meerkat, then that is what I would be doing.

 

The other thing that I didn't like about book 2 is that it's not just a handwriting book. It has suggestions for journal entries, dictation, drawing pictures. I got the secular version because we are studying Am. history this year and I thought that would be good to have dd practice her handwriting using quotes from famous Americans. There are only about 10 quotes in the entire book :glare:.

 

I would definitely just buy the first book so they can learn how to write the letters, then use the software to provide copywork and extra practice. If the first book has all of the journal entries, dictation, and such, then I will be sending it back as well and getting the software only.

 

HTH.

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Yes, we used it.

 

For a child who is going from print TO cursive, I think it's excellent. For a parent who wants to do cursive first, not so good.

 

I had my 6 yo do book 1 with no problem, though it had much less practice than what I would have normally assigned. The 9/10s did book two and it was also much too little for us. I am used to my kids doing copywork every day so they blasted through it in no time.

 

that said, I thought for the intended kids, it would be excellent.

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Just giving my question a little 'bump'.

 

Anyone have experience with purchasing the New American Cursive font for StartWrite 5.0? I have emailed StartWrite (startwrite@gmail.com) a couple of times now, and have not heard back from them.

 

Thanks for your suggestions!

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My son (8yo) just finished NAC 1 today. I have NAC 2 and he is anxious to start that. I'm VERY pleased with the results of NAC 1. His handwriting is extremely nice...almost perfect. At first I wasn't sure how it would work because in the beginning it is all tracing and they slowly transition into some independant writing half way through. I was pleasantly surprised how well he did with the transition. :) I'm thinking of purchasing the software for my other kids, but there is something so simple about just having the workbook. We shall see.

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Just giving my question a little 'bump'.

 

Anyone have experience with purchasing the New American Cursive font for StartWrite 5.0? I have emailed StartWrite (startwrite@gmail.com) a couple of times now, and have not heard back from them.

 

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

What about it? I bought it and it worked just fine. That's actually how I taught Rebecca cursive, not with the copybooks but just making up worksheets from StartWrite.

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I would say that having both is not a bad idea. The book makes it so easy to pull out and teach without having to come up with things and you'd be surprised how motivating a book with a character on it can be. Memoria Press never meant for it to be much of a copybook b/c they already have Copybook 3 in cursive. I think the simple composition assignments and a chance to put a picture with it have been good. Part of handwriting is learning to transition from large ruled lines to notebook paper and NAC2 does a great job of slowly taking them down to small sizes. It also has things in there like thank you notes and letters so I like that since I'm not planning to use a writing curriculum that teaches that. Also, part of handwriting is learning to keep it looking nice when you're really letting your thoughts flow instead of only when you have one sentence to copy. But I still think the software would be worth it for making other worksheets that go with whatever else you are doing.....such as spelling tests or practice, writing out questions for narration, or making copywork out of your memory work. Both are very useful IMHO....

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I would say that having both is not a bad idea. The book makes it so easy to pull out and teach without having to come up with things and you'd be surprised how motivating a book with a character on it can be. Memoria Press never meant for it to be much of a copybook b/c they already have Copybook 3 in cursive. I think the simple composition assignments and a chance to put a picture with it have been good. Part of handwriting is learning to transition from large ruled lines to notebook paper and NAC2 does a great job of slowly taking them down to small sizes. It also has things in there like thank you notes and letters so I like that since I'm not planning to use a writing curriculum that teaches that. Also, part of handwriting is learning to keep it looking nice when you're really letting your thoughts flow instead of only when you have one sentence to copy. But I still think the software would be worth it for making other worksheets that go with whatever else you are doing.....such as spelling tests or practice, writing out questions for narration, or making copywork out of your memory work. Both are very useful IMHO....

 

Is this in the NAC cursive, though? I thought that it was not. :bigear:

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You do not need to do book 1 with older kids before book 2. You need to just modify HOW you do book 2. I am SO glad I decided not to get book 1s for my older children. My 10 and 12 yo use book 2. And my 8yo uses Book 1. For all this is their first year of cursive.

 

To use book 2 for beginning older ones, you need to modify like this. I say older ones as I think the faster pace of the modification is best for older ones. So in book 2 it has a full page of teaching/review of two letters. It has pictures with arrows to show how to make the letter, etc. They trace then draw the letter. There are a few words at the bottom to review past letters. The next page is a copywork page that assumes you learned ALL the letters in book 1. Skip it. Move on to the next teaching letter page. Do that until all the letters are learned. Remember, there are a few words at the bottom of each page that do small review so it's not like they don't review the letters. Once they go through learning all the letters (which doesn't take that long at 2 letters a day!), then go back and do one of those copywork pages a day. Each one has 8-10 or so good solid review words that use upper and lower case of the letters learned.

 

Book 1 is a tad too big and a tad too young for 10+ yos. Modifying book 2 has been simple and has worked amazing. The pace was perfect for my kids and I shockingly have a 10yo with flawless cursive. Who knew?

 

I, too, like another poster suggested, do the standard T and F. I don't like the NAC T and F. But aside from that, I am very happy with it. But I also can't STAND the way HWT cursive letters look if that makes any difference.

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What about it? I bought it and it worked just fine. That's actually how I taught Rebecca cursive, not with the copybooks but just making up worksheets from StartWrite.

 

Do you have a Mac? That's my problem. (See my original question on page 2.) The New American Cursive site sells their own StartWrite software, with the NAC font, but they do not have it available for use on Macs. StartWrite.com sells StartWrite 5.0, which works on Macs, but it does not come with the NAC font.

 

I know that StartWrite 5.0's "Modern Cursive" font is somewhat similar to NAC. However, it isn't nearly as beautiful, and I would be willing to pay the $9 to get NAC with the software if I could.

 

plain jane -- hope you see this so you can advise!

Edited by September
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I, too, like another poster suggested, do the standard T and F. I don't like the NAC T and F. But aside from that, I am very happy with it. But I also can't STAND the way HWT cursive letters look if that makes any difference.

 

I would agree that the 'T' and 'F' are not ideal. However, it's the 'N' and 'M' that get me -- flawless!

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