cursive first

Here are the reasons behind teaching Mia cursive first. She is doing great with writing her letters and I am so glad we decided to go this route. Cursive is flowing so naturally for her!


"Cursive helps curb reversals letter reversals. It provides a clearer distinction between b and d or p and q. All cursive letters start at the same point (at the base line.) Manuscript letters start at six different starting points. Cursive eliminates confusion and directionality. All letters go up from the base line. Manuscript move in three different directions: straight to the left (e), curving left and up (o), or straight down (h). Cursive requires fewer stops and starts to write a word. To write "broken" in manuscript requires 7 pencil lifts. To write "unbroken" in cursive requires no pencil lift. Writing ball and stick letters is more stressful for someone with newly developing small motor skills.

We were programmed to think that cursive is harder because we were taught manuscript when we were young and introduced to cursive in second grade. We assume there was so reason for this sequence.
That is not the case. For centuries students started with cursive. The shift to manuscript first was not linked to any evidence that this was a better way to teach initial penmanship. The shift came with the progressive school movement. The word "progressive" sounds like some form of advancement, and was used to hide a goal to weaken the education of the masses. This movement gave us look say as a replacement for phonics. With the changes came an assortment of new issues such as dyslexia and remedial reading classes."

by Wanda Sanseri, author of Spell to Write and Read

Tonya