3 Reasons You Should Teach Your Kids How to Write in Cursive
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If you’re anywhere around my age then you probably remember learning cursive handwriting. You know…those awkwardly shaped pads of paper with the overly huge lines and a texture that resembled thin plastic. I (personally) loved learning how to write in cursive.
I was actually super shocked when I found out that the cursive alphabet isn’t often required to be taught anymore in elementary school. But why?
The History of Cursive Handwriting
Since the beginning of time, people have always looked for the best way to write more swiftly. Even the scribes back in the Mesopotamian days were writing in their form of cursive on clay tablets!
Fast forward to the 16th century, and that’s where you’ll find the cursive we’re familiar with today. Folks like Platt Rogers Spencer even coined handwriting as a type of art. And when you think about it, it truly is!
As for why how to write in cursive is no longer looked at as something worthy to continue teaching…I get it. Our society continues to move full steam ahead into all things digital. It’s much easier to type in a pretty cursive font. And there are rarely things to physically sign anymore, but the benefits go beyond being able to sign your John Hancock.
3 Benefits to Teaching How to Write in Cursive
Even in the midst of a technological surge, I still believe we can embrace the benefits of teaching our kids how to write in cursive.
Cursive handwriting boosts the brain
When it comes to integrating visual and tactile information, cursive handwriting will help your child do it. What ends up happening is certain synapses are firing during writing in cursive that synchronize the left and right hemispheres of the brain. You won’t find this when a child is learning to type!
Cursive writing improves brain development
Primarily in the areas of thinking, language, and working memory – learning how to write in cursive has been shown to improve:
- overall reading
- writing speed
- spelling
- fine motor skills
- retention
- self-discipline
- self-esteem
- and more!
Researchers actually found that elementary-aged students who learned a cursive form of writing were better at spelling. They seemed to form words more easily, which led to being better readers.
Cursive handwriting promotes creativity
Think about all that beautiful Bible journaling. All those calligraphy writing style classes. All those cutesy-curly ways to show creative expression. Those branch from knowing how to write in cursive in the first place. Children who learn cursive are more apt to be creative when given the ability to do so.
Homeschool Cursive Handwriting Curriculum
We use BJU Press Homeschool curriculum which teaches the PreCursive alphabet through second grade, and begins cursive in third grade.
We are working through Handwriting 4 right now, and my kids are enjoying the writing exercises that feature America and history of the 50 states. Each day they are given specific letters with similar strokes to practice (both lowercase letters and uppercase letters), and I make sure to demonstrate the correct strokes for them as well to help with proper letter formation.
When you start teaching your kids how to write in cursive, you’ll want to try to practice a little bit everyday…but keep in mind that learning cursive can be hard! Remember that there is no rush – take things slow, be consistent with letter formation, and make it fun.
Cursive Writing Printables
Wondering how to teach cursive to your kids? One way to make cursive writing fun is by using themed printables. If your kids need a break from the typical curriculum, or you just want some extra practice, you might try downloading some cursive handwriting printables like the ones I created below.
These printables have a Minecraft theme, which is what my son is obsessed with right now. Sometimes having a printable with fun characters, words, and colors can make all the difference in motivation to practice handwriting!
In this 50 page Minecraft Cursive Workbook, your kids will work their way through the entire alphabet as they write both uppercase and lowercase letters, words, and sentences. Also included is number practice (1-10), Minecraft writing prompts, Minecraft jokes, and blank pages for extra practice.
If Minecraft isn’t your kids’ thing, there are many other options online to print out practice sheets and engage your kids in their cursive handwriting.
I hope this post has encouraged you in the importance of teaching your kids how to write in cursive! Drop a comment below and let me know – what has been your favorite cursive curriculum or tool in teaching this to your kids?
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Hi, my granddaughter has dyslexia and struggled immensely until I taught her cursive which writes the letters differently…now she can read and write…I tried the different fonts like open dyslexia but only the cursive helped…