Connecting Handwriting and Fluent Writing

CURSIVE SKILLS FOR SPEED & LEGIBILITY

You want children to write with speed and neatness while thinking about the content of their work. Would you like to know the secret of developing speed and legibility? Some people think it’s about practice, practice, practice, but practicing letters over and over actually makes them progressively messier. The secret to achieving speed and legibility is following the simple strategies in the workbook, teacher’s guide, and multisensory products. Handwriting Without Tears helps children develop seven skills:

Memory Name letters and numbers quickly from a random list. Visualize a letter or number quickly without seeing it.

Connections Connect one letter to another.

Placemen Follow lines and place letters and numbers correctly on the base line. Size Write in an appropriate size for age and grade level. Make letters a consistent size.

Start Start all letters in the correct place (either mid line or base line).

Sequence Make the letter parts in the correct order and direction. Make the letter parts the same correct way every time.

Spacing Leave space between words in sentences.

It is clear that each of the above skills is important. Children who immediately know their letters or numbers and how to connect them (Memory and Connection) don’t have to stop and think. They can write quickly. Children who make their letters sit correctly on the base line and make them a consistent size (Placement and Size) produce neat papers. Children who always start in the right place and make the strokes the same way every time (Start and Sequence) are able to write quickly and neatly without thinking. Spacing develops from good instruction and from using the worksheets and workbooks that provide enough room to write.

SPEED & NEATNESS

Music teachers know about speed. It’s the last thing they teach. First come the notes, rhythm, fingering or bowing, and finally, practice to reach an automatic, natural level. Then, it’s time to pick up the tempo! It’s the same with handwriting. Work on everything else and speed will come. Children who use poor habits will be doomed to be slow or sloppy. Children with good habits can be both fast and neat. That’s where we are heading.