will he forget cursive over the summer?

[caedmyn]

My 7 yo learned cursive at the end of the school year this year.  I was planning on having him do cursive copywork a couple days a week this summer so he didn't forget how to make the letters, but it's causing so much drama and I am just so burned out in general that I am ready to drop it.  The cursive program itself went fine so idk why he's fighting it so much now, but anyway.  Is he going to have to learn it all over again if we take a 3.5 month break from cursive writing?  I'm not planning on starting school for him until the beginning of October at the earliest because of the new baby coming early September.

[Sherry in OH]

If he forgets, he'll relearn it quickly.  

 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

1.  Yes, he will forget some because it isn't automatic yet and the muscle memory isn't solid yet.

2.  Yes, you will probably need to start over, but it won't be like starting from scratch.  More like review.

 

Have you asked him why it is bothering him so?  Does he resent that he is doing school during the summer?  Or is there a LOT of copywork when he has not yet developed the hand strength and muscle memory needed?  How much copy work are you having him do?  Could he need a mental break from all "school" looking stuff?  Maybe you could both agree to a two week break then do very, very short copywork twice a week?  

 

What about getting software like StartWrite and creating maybe one sentence to trace then copy from a topic of specific interest to him?  Maybe he could even decide which sentence he wants to trace, from a favorite book or topic or something, then you type it up with the software and let him trace it then copy it.  Keep it to just the one sentence done twice a week.  Maybe that would be less upsetting.

[J-rap]

He might momentarily forget, but once he begins working on it, it'll all come back.

[Guest]

He sounds like my eight year old.

 

I dropped the handwriting practice because we were both just so exhausted, burned out, and sick of fighting with each other.

 

I've been shocked by the handwriting I see on the notes, signs, maps, and other real life writing and props for imaginative play: he really has been paying attention to the lessons! His handwriting is much neater than the average for his age WHEN AND ONLY WHEN he chooses to make it that way.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Guest

[caedmyn]

He's only doing 3-4 words, not even a full sentence. I think it's because the copywork is not exactly like the style he learned. It's very similar, just a little more...spread out for lack of a better description...but he's a perfectionist and I think he's getting frustrated trying to copy it exactly.

[Tanaqui]

I think it's because the copywork is not exactly like the style he learned. It's very similar, just a little more...spread out for lack of a better description...but he's a perfectionist and I think he's getting frustrated trying to copy it exactly.

 

Well, if you that's the problem, can you give him a different summer assignment that's not copywork? Something fun and low-stress?

 

If not, really, he can take 8 or 9 weeks off from school. He'll forget a little, but then he'll remember when you guys start up again. Seven is much too young to be worried about this sort of thing.

[smudge]

What if you have him write your grocery list in cursive? or your to-do list? Build it up like you really need help- like your hands are really tired after cooking dinner and washing dishes? :)

[EndOfOrdinary]

My son got to pick his own sentence or words. There were a whole lot involving zombies, ninjas, and poop, but he giggled the entire time.

[SilverMoon]

In my house, yes, yes he would. But I keep a little poster with cursive letters in the room where my little ones sit for their seatwork so they can reference it as needed. He'll pick it back up.

 

FWIW, I added a simple cursive workbook to my 8yo's daily summer school schedule. It takes her a whopping five minutes, but it's kept her fresh.