Many states have adopted cursive back into their state standards. Why? Elementary students' classroom time is still predominately pencil and paper. In fact, as the grades progress, students spend more time writing on paper. Children need handwriting practice beyond second grade to build cognitive automaticity—the ability to free your mind from the mechanics of handwriting and focus on content.
And, the benefits of cursive instruction go beyond handwriting:
- Through cursive instruction, children will eventually develop their personal style—most likely a mix of print and cursive—and increase speed and fluency on their written assignments
- Cursive handwriting increases retention and idea generation
- Cursive builds confidence in other schoolwork
- Cursive provides a fresh start—even a second chance—for students who may have struggled with printing
- In the classroom, it is a fun, new skill to teach and learn
So, cursive is back in your standards. Where do you start?
Thankfully, cursive is easy to incorporate into your classroom time. Especially if you use a cursive style that is an easy transition from printing like Handwriting Without Tears offers.
Here’s three easy steps to start cursive instruction in your classroom:
- Download a sample page of a cursive student edition. If you teach a simple vertical cursive (no more fancy loop-de-loops), students will transition quickly and build speed.
- View our how-to videos for quick tips on cursive lessons.
- Contact us to take care of your specific cursive classroom needs from grades 2–5.