Thursday, March 6, 2008

More on Cursive First

I've been doing a bunch of thinking (like I do before starting anything new with the kids....)  - the person whose program I am using for reading suggests for writing having them learn print first, and then about 2 months in learn cursive.....

 

But I was doing some looking on the internet....  mainly I wanted to have an idea what "font" or style of printing and writing I wanted to teach..... and found a couple of articles on teaching cursive writing BEFORE printing.... and it made sense to me.  Apparently, that is what used to be done before about 1920-1960 (depending on where in the US/Canada) - and is done in many European countries.

 

Some of the stuff that makes sense to me is stuff like....  for most styles of printing, the person/child needs to make good circles, straight lines, and good triangles.  All of which is hard to do.  for cursive, it is flowing curves, etc, which is what children of a young age tend to do easier.   One article said that printing requires 6 types of movements.... cursive requires 3.    Because the letters are joined and worked from left to right, mixing stuff like b's and d's is very uncommon.   (one historical note, cursive was taught first back when nib pens were used because that is how that type of pen is designed to work.... the movements required in printing would make big ink blots unless you are very skilled.....)

 

Another benefit, is that people tend to do best, or revert in times of stress, to what they learned first.  I think there would be great benefit to that being cursive....


Anyway, it made sense to me.   And seeing how well Delta did with his first try, and without me hovering over him, or having him do repetative letters etc....  I am impressed.    Yes, right now he is tracing instead of forming the letters himself - but it is more legible than many people's handwriting as is!

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