Choose five letters to learn each day, beginning with the lowercase cursive letters that appear similar to their print versions such as a, c, d, e and g.
Trace over the cursive letters on a cursive worksheet by following the direction of the arrows with the pointer finger of your dominant hand. This assists you in learning the motion and slant of the letters.
Place your pointer finger in the air and draw the cursive letter you are practicing in the air five times to memorize the wrist movement by the way it feels.
Trace over the dotted lines of cursive letters on practice worksheets with a pencil, following in the direction that the arrows are pointing. Include slants and loops. Trace each letter at least five times.
Write the entire lowercase alphabet in cursive on lined paper upon learning it, connecting each letter to the one before and after it.
Trace words or sentences containing multiple cursive letters that are connected. This gives you practice on creating loops and connecting letters that commonly blend together to form sounds. Do not lift your pencil.
Dot an i or j and cross a t or f upon finishing each word. This keeps your cursive fluid without breaks in the connecting loops.
Look at the traced version and replicate the word on regular lined paper with your pencil. Compare the traced version with the untraced version. Circle mistakes with a pen on the untraced version and practice correcting them to improve your penmanship.
Learn which uppercase cursive letters connect to other letters and which do not by looking at the right side of the cursive letter. Letters without an extending loop or line at the bottom half (D, F, O, P, S, T, V and W) do not connect meaning you can lift your hand before writing the next letter. Repeat the process of tracing and practicing uppercase cursive letters as you did lowercase ones.
Keep a cursive sheet of letters on hand as a reference to check and use when forming cursive letters. Practice writing free-hand cursive daily, without tracing, particularly on common words such as paper headings that contain your name, grade level, teacher's name, date and subject. Use the cursive letter examples to help.