Connect the letters of the alphabet in a typed or handwritten line of lowercase manuscript letters from a to z. Trace over the lowercase letters as you connect the letters. Then repeat this exercise with a handwritten line of lowercase letters, changing the e, f, s and z to cursive letters.
Practice cursive in groups of four to six letters. Write each letter several times, then write words that have the letter in different positions. For example, practice the letter s in words such as soup, pest and dogs.
Copy a list of short words written in cursive. Pay attention to the slant of the letters; cursive may slant in different degrees, but the slant should be consistent. If necessary, check the slant of your cursive by drawing lines leaning on each letter. The lines should be parallel.
Learn capital words after you are comfortable with lowercase words. First, trace over a line of capital cursive words. Then copy them underneath the line. Note that G, S, I and J begin at the bottom, while the other capital letters begin at the top or top right.
Practice uppercase and lowercase cursive words together by copying sentences in cursive. Choose sentences from a handwriting workbook or from your favorite book. You can also practice by copying your favorite quotes or sayings or your name.