Some parents and educators believe that teaching students cursive first makes it easier for them to learn to write both cursive and printing. Samuel L. Blumenfeld, educator and author, believes that teaching children cursive first, as schools did in the 1930s, assists children in learning to write and read proficiently. He insists that printing first impedes learning the natural flow of cursive later, and that cursive first lends itself to more easily learning to print in the future. (See Reference 2.)
Using proper posture makes numerous tasks easier and more effective. The same is true when it comes to cursive writing. Encourage your child to sit up straight with feet flat on the floor and knees under the desk. Proper paper placement is important as well. The bottom left corner of the paper should point at a right-handed student, and the bottom right corner toward the left-handed student. Demonstrate how to hold a pencil properly with a loose grip to prevent cramps and fatigue when writing for long periods. (See Reference 4.)
Learning to form cursive letters requires performing the correct strokes in the proper order. Obtain a cursive letter chart that uses arrows to show your child how to create each letter. Utilize animated videos that illustrate how to write letters in longhand, as well as how to connect to them to one another. Use a chalkboard or dry-erase board to demonstrate cursive writing yourself, and allow your child to mimic your movements to create his own letters. (See Reference 5.)
Repetition is the key to good penmanship and the mastery of the cursive alphabet and writing longhand. Provide lined paper and worksheets for your child to practice writing on. Free printable practice sheets are easily found online for home use. Cursive writing workbooks are another option. Assign a few exercises each day to help your child train his fingers to reproduce cursive letters and words with ease. Use flashcards initially to teach the letters of the cursive alphabet before having your child attempt to write them.