Third graders can have fun getting messy with this cursive writing game. Put some shaving cream on the students' desks, and have them practice making cursive letters with shaving cream. Go around the room to check each student's progress.
For this game, have students compete with each other to see who the best cursive writer is. Ask two children to come up to the board and write a word you give them in cursive. The first student to write the word correctly stays at the board. Another student comes up to the board and competes with the student left standing at the board. Continue the game until every student has had a turn at the board.
This game helps students understand the difference between print and cursive letters. Divide the class into two teams. Write a word on the board twice, once in print and once in cursive. Give the teams a minute to come up with ways the words looked different. The team who comes up with the most differences wins.
Making cursive words in the air is an effective way to get the muscles warm before writing on paper. Have students to sit in a circle on the carpet, and ask them to watch you write words in cursive words on the board. Instruct them to trace the words you write with their pointer fingers (See Reference 2).