Penmanship, the Real Hands-On Learning, offers children far more than we might think. Listen to my friend Iris Hatfield, handwriting expert, on Ten Reasons to Teach Cursive, even (especially!) with special-needs children.

For a 4-minute helpful video on paper placement for right- or left-handed children: view this.

You can begin teaching cursive as early as first grade which, according to Iris, is when all children learned cursive before the 1940′s. Findings from a recent study in Quebec, Learning Cursive in the First Grade suggest that learning cursive assists those with dyslexia. Interested in more? Consider this from a Professor of Neuroscience on cursive’s benefits to the brain. Be sure to read the study within the study.

We teach cursive in Simply Classical Curriculum Level 2. You need only NAC 1 (and accompanying StartWrite software if you want to create your own NAC cursive practice, e.g., catechism for copybook, spelling words, name and address), Cursive Sheets for ample practice, and SC 2 Reading & Writing lesson plans to boost mastery. That’s all for an entire year of beginning cursive!

For the student who already knows proper Aa-Zz cursive letter formation but needs practice, see My Thankfulness Journals, so the child can practice his penmanship each evening, even as he learns to give thanks daily.

Cheryl