Cursive First comment

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  • April 27, 2010 at 3:47 pm
    singingmaniac
    Member

    I wanted to comment on the conversation about Cursive First.  I am looking at teaching my Kindergartner cursive, and am liking Cursive First.  She already knows manuscript (I used Handwriting Without Tears). 

    I wanted to share with Christie that I found a way around the copying dilemna.  I wanted her to be able to redo a HWT page as many times as necessary, so I copied each page once and then slid it into a plastic sheath.  She uses dry erase markers and does her practice.  We found some fine point dry erase markers.  We just wipe it off after she is done.  It has been wonderful and eliminated the need to make multiple copies.  You wouldn’t even have to copy, but just cut the plastic sheath to slide onto the page in the book.  I secure the sheath and paper with one of those really strong paper clips that acts like a vice.  I don’t know their official name, but you can secure thick stacks of paper at once with them. 

    I know that they also need to practice on paper, but you could just use lined paper for that, or even make your own lined paper on the computer.  That’s really easy to do, and the lines could be as small or big as you wanted.  Then you could just print off sheets as needed.

    Hope this gives you some ideas around the copying problem so you can still use Cursive First.

    Also, I am planning on using Spell to Read and Write or The Writing Road to Reading (which is the program that Wanda Sanseri first used and taught, and then used to create her own program (SRW) by changing some things, but keeping the essential aspects like the phonograms, spelling rules, and spelling lists).  I just wanted to let you know that my friend who uses SRW doesn’t do all the extra things Wanda lays out.  She taught the phonograms, then does the spelling lists.  Its not very cumbersome when you do just that, but you still get the value of the program.  Just an idea.

    CB

    April 27, 2010 at 11:09 pm
    suzukimom
    Participant

    Another Cursive First question.

    I’ve been using Cursive First with my son (age 6) since September, taking it slowly.  We are basically just finished the lower case letters, and I’m having him do some simple copywork now on some of the days, and doing Cursive First on others.

    However, anytime we aren’t specifically working on copywork or Cursive First – I’ve noticed that he writes with his pre-school printing (ie, his self-taught printing).  So of course, it looks horrid.  That includes anytime he needs to put his name on something, or his dad had him write a grocery list, etc….

    Does he just need more practice; will he start using the writing he is learning for these things?

    April 28, 2010 at 2:34 pm
    missceegee
    Participant

    @singingmaniac – Yes, I’ve done the dry erase marker with a plastic sheath before. However, the feel of it is significantly different than paper; it’s much more slippery. My kids always preferred chalk/chalkboard or paper/pencil when first learning, though now that they’re very competent with cursive, we use the whiteboard for spelling oftentimes.

    I’ve found a software program, too, that I love. It’s called Pencil Pete and it patiently repeats how to make each letter (cursive or manuscript) over and over and over until you stop it. My 6 year old has used this more than Cursive First and it’s worked well. He has lovely penmanship. I really like the verbalizations with Cursive First and still use them with him on occasion, but I have a new demonstrator!

    I have read WRR and have bought and used most, if not all, of the OG phonics methods – SWR, Phonics Road, LEM Phonics, and All About Spelling. As to SWR, I used it faithfully & very successfully for 2 years, but I have 4 kids all 3 years apart and I just don’t have the amount of time it takes, even in a simplified form. AAS has been great in this regard. I just open 1 book and go. I have one kid who likes the tiles and one who doesn’t, but we spend no more than 15-20 minutes several days a week. Ideally, I do prefer some aspects of SWR (better sentences, for one), but I decided to do what was realistic for our family at this time and AAS is astronomically more user friendly while keeping some of those “extras.”

    @SuzukiMom – I think kids naturally continue to do what they have learned first and that it is a real transition unless they are eager to do cursive like my oldest was.

    I require ALL schoolwork to be in cursive and I actually discourage printing in play time, too, simply b/c I like to reinforce the habit of cursive.

    The 6 yo began with Cursive First, but can print (self taught and looks ok, but not nearly as nice as his cursive). However, he naturally chooses cursive now. I would keep with the practice and encourage him to use it at other times, but not require it. Perhaps, the gift of time is all he needs.

    HTH,

    Christie

    April 28, 2010 at 4:13 pm
    suzukimom
    Participant

    Thanks – Cursive First is the first writing my son was taught…. the printing he tends to do is just whatever he picked up on his own….   I think I will try to keep working with him, and encourage cursive whenever I see him writing….

    And I’m thinking that although I had heard that it was best to wait while kids were young before teaching anything with printing/writing – that I will start some of the basic stuff with my 4yo daughter who is desperate to write and is at that stage that she “writes”  (scribble marks that are just starting to look like letters) – doing things like tracing the letters with her finger, etc…

     

    April 28, 2010 at 6:46 pm
    missceegee
    Participant

    Sandpaper letters are great for the littles and while expensive bought, you could make your own. Also, squirt some colored hair gel or glue in a ziploc and let her make the letters on that. I also use rice in a tray to trace trough (the salt was too messy for me.)

    My dd9 was ready to write at 4 and i taught her to print, but that was before I read about teaching cursive first. Now when dd almost 3 is ready, I’ll get her going w/ cursive before any bad habits sneak in.

     

    April 28, 2010 at 6:49 pm
    suzukimom
    Participant

    Oh, just thought I’d mention that I do own Pencil Pete too…. although we don’t seem to use it much (except to print pages from instead of copying the cursive first page…..)   Although I’m thinking I should have kept copying the Cursive First pages instead as it has simple words with the letters already done.

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