Homeschool Diva

Do you teach print or cursive first? Internationally, typically cursive is taught first. Some progressive public schools in the states are teaching cursive right out of the gate in kindergarten. I’ve read different studies about it and didn’t really have a strong conviction about it, one way or the other, until this morning.

Jackson learned print in his Montessori preschool before he came home for home school. They actually preferred the idea of teaching cursive first, but went with print because so many kids left them and went to public school. They needed to make sure kids where doing what was normal here. They mentioned how it was easier for most children to learn cursive first. I never really thought of it, but think of it. All the starting and stopping. Picking up their pencil every stroke. Especially for a boy who doesn’t like to sit still in the first place. It must be very frustrating.

I must say, He has hated writing this whole time. His concentration and fine motor skills have really developed this year, and he was able to write “pretty” print writing but he was constantly frustrated, with b’s and d’s and reversing letters here and there. For about 6 months he has been asking to write cursive. I have held him off, because in my mind, I wanted him to have mastered printing before we tackled a new skill.

A few weeks ago, I lamented a sheet that had all of the letters on it both print and cursive. I would put it on the table as he was writing for him to reference hoping that it would help him with the letter reversal and alleviate some of his frustration. So the other day, I gave him his copy work and asked him to put his name and date at the top before he began like always. When I came back, he had done it in cursive, all by himself.

Today, I actually said “OK Bud, today you get to write in cursive.” He did all of his copy work (several lines) in cursive with very little help from me. When he was done he said, “Mom cursive is so much easier! I can do it faster and it looks better. They all have a little hook that tells me which way the letter is supposed to be facing so I don’t write any letters backwards.” Not to mention he felt like learning cursive was a signal that he was no longer doing “baby” work but beginning to do big kid work.

In hind site, I think I should of started him with cursive earlier. The reality is, he will be moving to typing in a few years, and do much of his writing work, via the keyboard. Is it that important to have gorgeous penmanship? I mean (no offensive honey) my husband’s handwriting is horrible and he is 35. Moving him to something that is less frustrating and gives him success and confidence, in my mind is MORE important than doing print work because that is what everyone else does.

What do you think. Should we start with cursive first?