Cursive Writing Tips And Techniques For Success
Cursive writing has a long history dating back thousands of years. Some of the earliest examples of cursive writing are found in ancient Roman handwritten texts. Over time, cursive evolved into a faster, more fluid form of handwriting that was commonly taught in schools up until the 1970s. Since then, the emphasis on teaching cursive has declined, with many schools today opting to focus on teaching keyboarding skills instead. However, cursive still offers many benefits that make a compelling case for continuing to teach it.
Learning cursive has been shown to improve neural connections and activate regions of the brain involved in thinking, language, working memory, and other key functions. It helps improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and reading fluency. Writing in cursive is often faster than printing, allowing students to take notes more quickly. Many argue that cursive should remain an essential part of education due to these demonstrated benefits.
Proper Pencil Grip
The most recommended pencil grip for cursive writing is called the tripod grip. According to the Royal Children’s Hospital, “The tripod grip allows the most controlled fine motor movements of the fingers and hands.”1 With the tripod grip, the pencil rests on the middle finger supported by the thumb and index finger.
Some common pencil grip mistakes to avoid include:
- Fisting – Gripping the pencil with whole hand clenched in a fist
- Thumb wrap – Wrapping whole thumb over and around the pencil
- Thumb tuck – Tucking thumb behind fingers instead of resting against pencil
- Finger wrap – Wrapping fingers over pencil in awkward positions
Ensuring a proper tripod pencil grip from the start will help children write cursive letters properly and avoid hand fatigue or discomfort.
Proper Letter Formation
To form letters correctly in cursive handwriting, follow these tips:
- Maintain a consistent slant – usually slightly rightward at around 30-40 degrees.
- Keep consistent shape and size of letters within and between words. Don’t make some letters too large or small.
- Follow the proper stroke sequence and direction. For example, to write a lowercase “a”, start at the top, pull down and around to the left, then back up on the right side.
- Connect letters smoothly, without stopping. Lift your pencil between words but not letters.
Watch this helpful video demonstrating proper cursive letter formation:
Cursive Writing – Letters (A to Z) – YouTube
Pay particular attention to the starting and ending points of letters, keeping your pencil on the paper for the entire letter. Maintaining proper slant, size, and connections will develop good muscle memory and cursive fluidity over time.
Connecting Letters
A hallmark of good cursive handwriting is the ability to connect letters smoothly and legibly. This requires learning how to join letters in a flowing, natural way. There are two main techniques for connecting cursive letters – overlapping and underlapping.
Overlapping is when the exit stroke of one letter slightly overlaps the entry stroke of the next letter. For example, when connecting the letters “o” and “v,” the circular part of the “o” will slightly overlap the downstroke of the “v.” This creates a smooth, continuous transition between letters.
Underlapping is when the exit stroke of one letter stops just before the following entry stroke. There should still be a close, tight connection between the letters, but no overlap. For example, when joining “m” and “o,” the first downstroke of the “m” will stop just shy of touching the “o” so the two letters are joined but not overlapped.
Connecting letters in cursive relies on making logical joins. An exit stroke that curves to the right should join with an entry stroke that curves to the left, and vice versa. Lifting the pencil between letters will disrupt the flow. With practice, students can master connecting letters in cursive through effective overlapping and underlapping.
For examples of good cursive connections, see: Link
Capital Letters
Capital letters are used at the beginning of sentences, for proper nouns like people’s names, places, days of the week, months, holidays, titles, initials, and abbreviations. When writing in cursive, it’s important to use the correct capital letter formation.
To form capital letters in cursive, start at the top with a curve to the right to match the slant of your writing. For letters like A, E, F, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, T, U, V, W, X, Y – make the downstroke and complete the letter. For letters like B, C, D, G, O, P, Q, R, S – close the top loop before completing the letter.
Examples of capital cursive letter formation:
A – Start at top, curve down to bottom line on right slant[1]
B – Start at top, curve down and loop back up to close loop before finishing letter
C – Start at top, curve around to bottom line to make a loop before finishing letter
D – Start at top, curve down to make a loop, finish letter on baseline
E – Start at top, curve down to bottom line on right slant
F – Start at top, curve down to baseline on right slant
G – Start at top, curve around to bottom line to make a loop before finishing letter
H – Start at top, curve down to baseline on right slant, cross middle
I – Dot at top, stroke down to baseline on right slant
J – Start at top, curve down below baseline and loop back up
K – Start at top, downstroke on slant, angle up to center and down to baseline
L – Start at top, stroke down to baseline
M – Start at top, downstroke on slant, upstroke, downstroke on slant
N – Start at top, downstroke on slant, upstroke on slant to baseline
O – Start at top, full loop down to baseline and around
P – Start at top, curve down to make a loop, finish with vertical stroke
Q – Start at top, curve around with loop, angle down below baseline
R – Start at top, curve down to make loop, angle up to center and down stroke
S – Start at top, curve to bottom line, loop back to top and curve back to baseline
T – Downstroke from top to baseline
U – Start at top, curve down and around to baseline
V – Start at top, angle down to baseline on right slant
W – Start at top, downstroke on slant, upstroke, downstroke on slant
X – Downstroke on slant, upstroke crossing center, downstroke on slant
Y – Start at top, stroke down on slant, angle up and down to baseline
Z – Start at top, stroke down on slant, horizontal stroke, upstroke on slant
Lowercase Letters
Properly forming lowercase letters is crucial for developing good cursive handwriting. Here are some tips for each letter:
a
Start at the top and make a circle going counterclockwise, bringing the pencil down and around to make the tail. The tail should curve to the right.
b
Start with the vertical line, curve around counterclockwise to make the lower lobe, then back up clockwise to close the b.
c
Start at the top and make a counterclockwise circle, curving back to close the c.
d
Start with a vertical line, curve around counterclockwise to make the lower lobe, then back up without closing to make the d.
e
Start at the midpoint and make a counterclockwise circle, curving back without closing to make the e.
f
Start at the top with a downward stroke, curve up counterclockwise to make the top lobe, down to the midpoint, then back up without closing.
g
Start with a counterclockwise circle not closed at the top, draw the tail downward and curve it back up to the right.
h
Start at the top with a downward stroke, then curve back up to the midpoint. Draw another downward stroke and back up to close the h.
i
Draw a simple vertical line.
j
Start with a downward stroke curving into a small counter clockwise circle at the base, draw the tail up to the right.
k
Start with a vertical line, draw the diagonal stroke from top left to bottom right, then another shorter diagonal line going bottom left to top right.
l
Draw a simple vertical line.
m
Start at the top with a downward stroke, curve up to the midpoint and down again. Draw a second set of strokes in the same way, connecting the two at the bottom.
n
Start at the top with a downward stroke, curve up to the midpoint and down again without closing at the bottom.
o
Start at the top and make a full counterclockwise circle, connecting back at the top to close the o.
p
Start with a vertical stroke down, make a counterclockwise lobe at the bottom, then curve back up vertically without closing at the top.
q
Start with a counterclockwise circle not quite closed at the top, draw the tail down and curve it up to the right.
r
Start with a vertical stroke down, curve up counterclockwise just slightly, then back down vertically without closing.
s
Start just below the midpoint, curve down and clockwise back up, then down and clockwise up again without closing the s.
t
Draw a simple vertical stroke downwards.
u
Start at the top with a downward stroke, curve up to the midpoint and down again without closing at the bottom.
v
Start at the top and draw two diagonal strokes meeting at the bottom midpoint.
w
Start at the top with a downward stroke, curve up to the midpoint and down again. Repeat on the right side, connecting the bottom of the two strokes.
x
Draw two diagonal strokes intersecting in the middle.
y
Start at the top with a downward stroke, curve down to the midpoint, then up towards the top right without connecting.
z
Start just below the top and draw a diagonal downwards to the bottom right. Draw a shorter diagonal stroke from bottom left to top right.
Numbers and Punctuation
When writing numbers in cursive, they should be drawn up to the cap line, similar to capital letters. The tops of numbers in cursive writing should touch the top dotted line.
For proper punctuation mark formation in cursive writing:
- Question marks start with a dot, then curve up and loop back down into a squiggle.
- Exclamation points are like a straight line down with a dot on top.
- Commas are formed like a small “c” shape.
- Apostrophes loop up in a similar shape to a comma.
- Quotation marks curve up on each side to form opening and closing marks.
It’s important to practice writing numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols neatly in cursive so they are clear and legible.
For examples and worksheets, see this helpful resource: Writing Numbers & Punctuation in Calligraphy
Connecting Words
When writing in cursive, it’s important to connect words together smoothly. This helps improve speed and fluency. According to The OT Toolbox, words should be connected with a gliding motion so the writing flows. Some techniques for connecting words include:
- Overlapping the last letter of a word with the first letter of the next word
- Making connector strokes between words such as the r to i glide
- Keeping letters close together so the spacing between words is small
- Not lifting the pencil off the paper unnecessarily between words
It’s useful to practice connecting certain letter pairs that commonly appear next to each other in words. Some examples include:
- a to o (ago, also)
- o to v (over, love)
- v to e (very, have)
- e to r (enter, letter)
Worksheets like those offered by K5 Learning can provide great practice for connecting cursive words.
Speed and Fluency
Gaining speed in cursive writing while maintaining legibility takes practice. Here are some tips:
Use a smooth, continuous motion when writing letters and words. Avoid stopping mid-word. This will help your cursive writing flow more naturally.
Maintain proper letter formation and keep your spacing consistent. Rushed, sloppy writing can impact legibility.
Start off writing more slowly and focus on accuracy. As you become more comfortable, gradually increase your speed. It’s better to build up speed slowly rather than trying to write very fast from the beginning.
Practice 2-3 times per week for 10-15 minutes. Daily practice can improve muscle memory and confidence.
Write with your shoulder and arm rather than just your fingers and wrist. Using your whole arm allows you to write faster and with less fatigue.
Here are some recommended drills and exercises for improving cursive writing speed:
Copy paragraphs or passages in cursive over and over. Focus on maintaining proper letter formation as you write faster. Time yourself and challenge yourself to beat your previous time.
Write the alphabet repeatedly in cursive. See how many times you can write it in 1 minute. Gradually increase your speed through practice.
Choose tongue twisters or familiar phrases and write them out multiple times in cursive. The repetition will help improve fluency.
Write out sentences, quotes or song lyrics in cursive. Start with simpler sentences and work up towards more complex passages.
Take notes during class or meetings in cursive to practice maintaining speed while listening and writing.
Set a metronome to a slow tempo and write in time with the beat. Gradually increase the tempo over time to build speed.
Troubleshooting Issues
There are some common problems that children may encounter when learning cursive handwriting. Identifying the specific issues can help find targeted solutions and exercises.
Reversing Letters
Some children may struggle with reversing certain letters like “b” and “d” when writing in cursive. Extra practice with letter formation and mnemonic tricks can help overcome this issue. For example, reminding them that the letter “b” has a “belly” while the letter “d” has a “dip” 1.
Inconsistent Sizing
Maintaining consistent letter size and spacing between letters can be challenging. Using lined paper or guides can help with sizing. Practicing whole words with correct spacing between letters reinforces proper letter size.
Poor Letter Formation
For some letters like f, r, and z, students may form the letters incorrectly. Tracing exercises, showing letter formation modeling, and identifying tricky letters for extra practice can improve formation.
Struggling with Connections
Remembering to connect letters smoothly in cursive can be difficult at first. Practicing 2 and 3 letter connections through targeted exercises builds muscle memory. Mnemonic phrases can also help (e.g. “Make your letters dance on the paper”).