Cursive  Handwriting

One very exciting thing that happens in third grade is that your child will learn how to write in cursive. We teach the letters using the Fundations program. Once all lowercase letters are learned, students will learn the capital letters in their first and last names.  Finally, the rest of the capital letters will be learned.

Your child will be coming home with cursive packets that have the letters that they have been taught. Your child will be encouraged to practice these letters on a regular basis at home. Cursive can be very challenging for many students in the beginning. They will write very slowly as they are still learning to form the letters correctly. I ask that you encourage your child to practice the letters that have been taught already in school. However, please refrain from teaching them any other letters that they have not learned in school yet. Over the years, you and I have probably formed bad habits that we do not want our students to pick up on. I tell the students that once they learn the proper way to form the letters and they are doing it fluently, then they can add their own little twists and quirks to the letters if they choose to do so. Happy writing!

Why Cursive?

Lately, there has been some controversy over whether or not students should learn cursive handwriting. When given the option, most of my past students overwhelmingly think we should. These have been some of their reasons:

-I can write faster than when I print.

-There's a font on the computer I want to use and read.

-Grandma sends me letters in cursive.

-Historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States are written in cursive.

-Land documents/deeds might be written in cursive.

-It builds up the muscles in my hand.

-I will have to sign my name on checks and credit cards or other important documents when I get older.

-Some books I have read have had pictures that have cursive handwritten letters that I wouldn't be able to read without learning cursive.

-It's pretty.

-It makes me feel grown up.

-Ms. Raymond wrote our names on our desks in cursive.

-It's just fun to learn.