Key Takeaways
- Learning how to write in cursive is about more than just learning a classic communication skill.
- Cursive writing practice can also improve fine motor skills, reading speed, and writing legibility.
- Discover tips for parents and teachers that can ensure your teaching methods are streamlined and efficient.
How to Teach Cursive Writing
It may seem like cursive is an outmoded method of writing, especially when everyone is clacking away on keyboards and phone screens. But learning cursive is about so much more than just communication, especially at a young age. When you learn how to write cursive, you’re practicing fine motor skills and engaging your mind in creative problem-solving, both skills that are essential as children grow.
Ready to discover how to learn cursive writing so you can become a better teacher? Follow along as the experts at Real OT Solutions® explore how to teach cursive writing!
The Best Method for How to Learn Cursive Writing
Whether you’re learning as an adult or reviewing how to learn cursive writing to prep for your next class, Real OT Solutions® will cover everything from sitting position and paper type to pen preference and body positioning. Check out the overview here:
1. Sitting Position
Before starting how to learn cursive writing, you or your students should be sitting in a chair at a desk. Feet should be flat on the floor, and the desk should be a few inches above the thighs. Ensure students are seated with their backs straight and shoulders relaxed. Writing at a desk that is too low or too high can introduce unnecessary strain and make handwriting practice a chore. You want to be as comfortable as possible before beginning.
2. Writing Utensils
While younger students will likely do best using a pencil when figuring out how to learn cursive writing, adults and older students can use ink pens with a felt tip. You want a writing utensil that produces a fluid line, making it easier to refrain from lifting it from the paper as you’re writing. If your students are using a ballpoint pen or other utensil that doesn’t flow as easily, they may find themselves lifting the pen from the paper prematurely and interrupting the flow of the cursive words.
3. Lined Paper
How you teach cursive writing is up to you, but in our opinion, lined paper is the best choice for handwriting practice paper. Our lined paper is in an adaptive style that provides even more guidance than regular lined workbooks. With practice paper from Real OT Solutions®, you have visual cues that guide students to create letters in the right shape and size. We offer several different types and styles of lined paper, some with more guidance for younger learners and others with fewer guidelines for older students.
4. Angle the Paper
If you’ve ever taught any style of writing, you likely already know about angling the paper to provide an easier position for flowing writing. Real OT Solutions® recommends the same positioning for how to learn cursive writing. Place the paper at a 30-35 degree slant toward your writing hand. Left-handed writers should angle their paper opposite that of right-handed writers.
5. Practice Letters First
The best starting place for how to learn cursive writing is obviously the basics. Before working on joining up any letters, start by learning how to form each letter individually. Spend some time practicing each uppercase and lowercase letter on its own. Your handwriting practice workbook should be full of pages that feature one letter practiced until it looks perfect!
6. Linking Your Letters
Once the letters start looking even and precise on their own, link them up. Start by linking the same letter over and over again until it feels natural to write for the full space of a page without lifting your pen or pencil. Start with the letter that feels easiest before moving on to some that are more difficult. As a teacher, you know that how to learn cursive writing can be a highly personalized experience. Allow your students to choose which letters they want to start with during this phase of the handwriting program to help them engage and feel in control.
7. Working on Words
Once the practice workbooks are full of single letters and joined letters, it’s time to start forming real words. When teaching handwriting for kids, you want to start with shorter words that just feature two or three letters. Eventually, you can work your way up to longer words and finally write full sentences and pages all in cursive.
Everyday Practice
Even after students have completed a full course, their lessons for how to learn cursive writing aren’t done quite yet! The team at Real OT Solutions® believes that daily practice is the key to success. Spending 20 minutes each day practicing with a handwriting kit can make a huge difference in a very short amount of time. Integrate cursive practice into your daily classroom curriculum for the best results.
Real OT Solutions® Is Here for All Educators
Whether you’re a parent planning a homeschool lesson or an Occupational Therapist working one-on-one with struggling students, Real OT Solutions® is here for you with resources, like scissor practice sheets and kindergarten handwriting workbooks, as well as OT courses online and webinars for occupational therapists.
Regardless of whether you want to learn how to teach cursive writing or introduce the Size Matters® Handwriting Program to your school, we’re here to help! Reach out now for more information on the transformational power of our writing programs.
