Teaching Cursive

[perimyndith]

This seems a bit like a random post, even from my perspective, but I've been mulling over the idea of teaching Vivian cursive. Mainly because (a) she keeps asking me to; and (b) she's developed some weird bad letter-writing habits that would be nearly impossible to do in cursive

Comments

[janaya]

I remember something about how some countries intentionally teach script writing before print writing. But just the vague something; I cannot recall the source at all. :/

[perimyndith]

I've found a bunch of references to European countries teaching cursive first or exclusively, except in the UK, where they teach print first. But I'm not sure if it's an urban Internet rumor or not because I don't see any solid data.

I've also seen various (weak) sources state that cursive is a gross motor skill, whereas print is a fine motor skill -- I wish I could find a solid source that explained why that is. Because print involves more tiny movements? Still looking.

This NPR story is interesting, and I think the interviewee has 2 good points: (1) that teaching print, cursive, AND keyboarding takes up a good chunk of time -- and time is already slim; and (2) it's less important whether kids learn cursive or print, and more important they write legible. He also points out that our cursive script today is much simpler than cursive taught in the past, and can be learned starting at Kindergarten age

[bogwitch64]

My son writes bottom to top instead of top to bottom. His handwriting looks like spidery runes! And hasn't changed since he was little (he is now 22.) There was a point that he was doing the "handwriting" lessons, but once they get past about second or third grade, whatever habit is there sticks. Cursive should have done the trick, but no, his little hand found a way around it.

In fifth grade, his teacher said, "You know what? He's a smart kid. He has really amazing thoughts. If he writes bottom to top, there's a reason his brain prefers it. Leave him alone." And we did.

His handwriting is still really bad, but he's mad brilliant!

[perimyndith]

Vivian does some bottom-to-top writing and that drives me a bit batty. I'm pretty sure she mainly started doing it because she was far enough ahead that nobody was paying much attention to what she was doing. Her b's and d's look like musical notes and 6's because she does the ball the wrong way around. She's still young enough to learn to do it right... but only if she'll practice it!

[bogwitch64]

Chris did the same thing with the b and d--musical notes! And 6 and 3 were almost always backwards.