FlyingMOm Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 My oldest two kids (almost 9yo 3rd grader and 8yo 2nd grader) are so excited about learning cursive this year but I am not loving the curriculum we are using. We have A Reason For Handwriting but it spends the first 26 lessons on learning how to form the letters before the kids ever move on to writing even simple words in cursive. It just seems to be taking forever. Or maybe I am just doing it wrong? We spend a week on each lesson- and each lesson has 1 letter- so that's 6 months before you ever start to write actual words & phrases. I can't decide if I should just speed it up to a lesson a day or if it would be better to just switch to another program. Either way- I'd love to hear recommendations for other cursive programs that you've enjoyed. My kids are so enthusiastic about learning cursive that I'd hate to see them lose their steam simply because this program seems to be dragging on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pollo_la Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 We tried A Reason For Handwriting with my oldest for Manuscript, and I really didn't care for it... we quickly dropped it. My 8 year old started using Pentime 2 this fall (she started in the middle of the book where the cursive starts). She progressed very well on her own with no instruction from me. I did watch her here and there to make sure she was forming the letters correctly - she was! :-) She is now half way through Pentime 3 and her cursive is beautiful. I really like Pentime and the books are very inexpensive. You might be able to simply start your children on the 3rd book, but the cursive does start in the middle of the second book, so I went ahead and started there since the books were cheap anyway. Book 3 is set up so that they practice a couple individual letters on one page, and then practice words on the next page. They do this for the first half of the book. Half way through they start practicing words on one page, and then use those words to write a short phrase/sentences/small paragraph on the next page. It's really well done. Yeah, the more I think about it you can probably just start with book 3. I also really like their first couple books for manuscript, and I am using book one for my 4 and 6 year olds. The books are very well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm using Pentime. We started with the second half of book 2. It introduces basic words as soon as the know a few letters. It also has them practice writing their name, which is something I would forget to do. ;) The books are only $5.50 at Rainbow Resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceyshoe Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 We've been using free Kidzone printables. I love that the letters are taught by similar shape rather than in alphabetical order. It reviews previously learned letters incorporated into words. The one down side is that I don't think they offer any captials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 The letter formation instructions in Writing Road to Reading 6th edition. The order of instruction in How to Tutor by Samuel Blumenfeld. In How to tutor, only a few letters are learned, and words and sentences are created with those few letters. How to Tutor does include letter formation instructions, but I prefer Spalding's vertical hand and explicit instruction in the form of scripts that can be memorized by the student. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMOm Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Thanks everyone! I had a look at the things you recommended, fell in love with pentime & have ordered it! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastal academy Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Cursive First! I have used this with my oldest 2 and it is great! I am planning on starting it with my 3rd very soon. So easy for me to teach and for them to learn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I liked The Joy of Handwriting from Teach Me Joy to learn the letters. We've used a combination of Pictures in Cursive (just finished book D) and a workbook called Wacky Sentences for additional practice. I like the Wacky Sentences book because it has the kids practice by simply tracing the words for awhile, move to copying the cursive sentence, and finally writing in cursive from a manuscript model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 My oldest two like New American Cursive although I changed some of the letters to make them more Canadian. My youngest likes the Horizons handwriting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Thanks everyone! I had a look at the things you recommended, fell in love with pentime & have ordered it! Thanks! I love Pentime! The kids are going through a book a year, so we don't finish the program until 8th grade. The older children all have good penmanship. :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I see that you've already ordered, but for anyone else looking, we've really enjoyed Cheerful Cursive. It starts words almost immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom2011 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 We like Zaner Bloser workbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metrodorus Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 You might find the free series of YouTube videos for cursive I made for my own teaching practice are useful - Each letter gets one video, and there is a separate lesson for the Capital Letters. The material is free, use it as you wish. I have found that my students can learn quite well from these, they seem to find the instructions clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I see that you've already ordered, but for anyone else looking, we've really enjoyed Cheerful Cursive. It starts words almost immediately. We use and love Cheerful Cursive, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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