Need Recommendation For Cursive Handwriting Tutorial

[OV1kenobi]

Hello!

Here is the situation: I am 54 and really do need to improve my penmanship for both my own enjoyment and to pass along, to some degree, the skill of cursive handwriting to my grandson.

The problem is, I have no idea of what type/method of cursive script to introduce my grandson to as I am aware that there are several styles/methods. My own handwriting looks very close to Spencerian Script, but not quite. I learned cursive writing in the Detroit Public Schools in the early to mid 1960's, so I don't know which style the teachers in the D.P.S. used back then.

I would appreciate any help you can offer, as my grandson is an extremely intelligent boy - in first grade, but reads at a minimum of fourth grade level, and is very interested and motivated to learn cursive.

Your suggestions would be most appreciated.

Regards,

David

 

[ricardo9505]

that's so funny. I learned script in the NYC public school system as well and am grateful for that. (yes, we were learning math and history with books as old as my dad, lol).

 

[andrew98]

There's some info you may find helpful here and at palmermethod.com.

-Andy

 

[fast14riot]

Check out iampeth.com for tons of information on different types of writing styles. Ask him what style is most appealing to him, that way he stays interested in practice. Perspnally i would shoot for the business script styles, it is designed to increase efficiency, readability, and look professional. or go for something super fancy, like a flourished Spencerian or Spencerian ladies hand.

Z/B was a very popular style for public schools during your time frame, why not put a sample in the thread linked in the above post, the handwriting sample thread.


-Xander

 

[rearviewmirror]

They no longer teach cursive in schools here, and my daughter really wanted it. I went to Borders or Barnes & Noble and found a few books for her, very similar to the exercises I had to do as a child. She loves it, and the books were fairly cheap.

 

[AllenG]

+1 to iampeth.com. Fantastic resource.

 

[N2theBreech]

I'll second the business hand recommendation. When I started trying to improve my penmanship, I was looking for something that was a-classic, b-written with a slant, and c-easy to read. I looked around at different styles, started practicing, then realized that it was very close to what I was taught! Now I'm just re-incorporating elements that I had forgotten about, or dropped because I wanted to do my own thing. It's very close to business hand. I suspect you were taught a "classic" style, too.

Also, I think it's great that you will be working with your grandson so you'll both be learning together. I think he'll appreciate that approach, and you'll model being a life-long learner.

 

[badgerstate]

More information than you knew existed here
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/
go to the "Creative expressions" section.

Time was kids were required to use a fountain pen at school. And if you made a mistake you had to throw away the page and start over. Nowdays (harump!) they have stopped teaching cursive handwriting in many public schools. I have 20 - 25 year old employees who have never written with a fountain pen, or even held one.

Why exactly do you want to teach the kid something he will never need to use?

 

[fast14riot]

Learning to write in cursive is akin to using a DE or straight razor. Sure you can hack way with a disposable bic, you'll remove the hair, and get the end result desired, no hair on your face. But then why use a DE?

Attention to detail, form, practice, results all in themselves will be rewarding, but for a young person it will help build character by promoting awareness, inititive, focus. I was taught cursive in school, I'm only 29 years old. I dropped it by 7th grade and when I started drafting in highschool I was printing exclusivley. Turning in a job application that is haphazardly scratched out, or a love letter to my wife just doesn't cut it. That's what started me a year ago to relearn cursive.

So by your reasoning, the next generation isn't even going to need to learn to write with a pencil, they will be spending their entire writing life using keyboards or simply voice to text.

To the OP, find a style your grandson likes, learn it with him. Write letters, postcards, notes, teach him the impotance of a well presented, handwritten note, because it is the next best thing to telling something personally.


-Xander

 

[jzuzphreek]

LWrite letters, postcards, notes, teach him the impotance of a well presented, handwritten note, because it is the next best thing to telling something personally.


-Xander

In an age of instant gratification and "absentee socialization", it's nice to know that some things will never be "out of style."

Who doesn't like opening the mailbox to see something other than bills and ads? It's really a shame that kids are seldom taught penmanship any more. I'm 28, but I remember copying lines over and over again. My penmanship stinks today, but it's not for lack of trying way back then. Just because we live in a day of all electronic all the time doesn't mean that good writing skills should die out. But it seems like so many good practices are taking a back seat these days. It's kind of sad really.

But who's to say that civilization will continue to grow and progress the way it has for the last few centuries? Hasn't the fall of ancient empires taught us anything? Nothing is permanent. The only sure thing is change. But nothing guarantees that change will be for the better.

[/rant]

Anyway, I think spending time with your grandson in such a constructive way is a wonderful thing. Some of my best memories are moments spent with my grandfather. And some of my Dad's most favorite times are spent with his grandkids. I only hope when my grandkids come along that the entire human language isn't composed solely of emoticons.

 

[syngent]

a friend gave me a link to a great postcard exchange site call postcrossing.com you make an account and request an address they use post codes so no actually addresses get sent to strangers, and you can exchange post card all over the world im going to do it myself, i found out ebay is chuck full of NOS vintage cards on the cheap too

seems like a fun way to get someone into writing and get to see some things everywhere from china to russia canada south america,... anywhere with a post office

 

[PugslyCat]

I found myself in the same boat of needing to improve my penmanship. I found that the first time I sat down and wrote a few pages that I took my time on and paid attention to my writing that my penmanship improved very quickly. As for teaching it to your grandson, I would do a search on Amazon looking for penmanship guides and copy books. A number of them came up when I searched.