Should Children Learn Cursive First?
Teaching children how to write is one of the foundational skills of education. In this post, we’re diving into the question: Should children learn cursive first? I’ll share my personal experience with my own children, a bit of research, and why I now believe teaching cursive first is a beautiful and worthwhile option.
Is One Better Than the Other?
Let’s start with the facts. Scientifically, there’s no definitive evidence that learning cursive first offers a major advantage over learning to print first—or vice versa. I’ve looked into the research and couldn’t find anything that pointed clearly one way or the other.
But here’s what we do know: there is a definite cognitive benefit to writing by hand—whether that’s in cursive or print—over typing on a keyboard. Our brains are simply more engaged when we physically write words on paper.
My Personal Experience with Teaching Print First
When my children were little, I chose to teach them to print first. That’s how I was taught in public school, and I just felt like that it what I was supposed to do. I used the Abeka curriculum, which I still highly recommend for teaching phonics and reading. Abeka gives you the option of starting with either cursive or print. I went with print.
Later, I taught all my children cursive—around the 3rd grade. But here’s the interesting part: only one of my children still uses cursive regularly today. That child also happens to be the more artistic and creative one, which may play a part. The others? They just stuck with printing, likely because I didn’t make cursive mandatory for everyday assignments.
Looking back, even though I followed the pattern I was taught in school, the outcome was quite different. This could be because I didn’t continue to force my children to write all their assignments in cursive.
Why I Recommend Teaching Cursive?
So, you might be wondering: Is cursive even necessary these days? I say yes. And here’s why:
1. Helpful for Children with Learning Differences
Cursive can be especially helpful for children with dyslexia. The flow and structure of cursive letters make them harder to reverse, which is a common challenge for dyslexic learners. I wish I had started my dyslexic daughter with cursive—I’ve read promising things about it since then.
2. Preserving the Past
If your child never learns cursive, they may not be able to read handwritten notes from grandparents or historical documents.
Recently my mother gave me a bunch of letters that my grandmother had saved. She saved almost every letter anyone had sent to her through her life. Most of these letters were written in cursive. If I hadn’t learned cursive, I wouldn’t have been able to read all those letters. I would have missed out on that treasure trove of family history.
There are also historical documents that are written in cursive. Although these have been transcribed into modern print, I think there is a great benefit to being able to read the originals.
3. Beautiful Handwriting from the Start
I’ve seen several children who were taught cursive first, and their handwriting is just beautiful—even in 2nd and 3rd grade. It’s elegant, neat, and very legible. That alone makes it worth it in my opinion.
How to Teach Cursive First
Like me, you might be thinking that cursive might be too confusing for little ones just learning the alphabet, but it’s not. Children are capable of learning what a letter looks like in print, what sound it makes, and how to write it in cursive—all at the same time.
Here’s a simple method:
- Use flashcards with printed letters to teach letter recognition and sounds.
- When it comes time to write, teach the cursive formation of each letter instead of the print version.
- Be patient, especially if you have a perfectionist child who wants every loop to be just right.
I had a child who would erase anything he was not satisfied with, and he was only five years old!Yes, it might take a bit more time to teach cursive, but the results are often worth the effort.
Recommended Cursive-First Resources
If you’re ready to give cursive first a try, here are some solid options:
1. Abeka: Writing with Phonics
Abeka’s writing program offers both cursive and print programs. If you’re already using their phonics program, it’s an easy add-on. You can also buy the cursive workbooks and lined notebooks separately.
2. Other Handwriting Programs
Most handwriting programs teach a pre-cursive or manuscript font first, here are a few popular options:
You can also explore more affordable stand-alone handwriting books on sites like Christianbook.com. These aren’t tied to a full curriculum, but they’re excellent for extra practice.
Final Thoughts: Cursive or Print?
In the end, the decision is yours. But if you’re just starting out with a young child who hasn’t learned to write yet, I encourage you to consider starting with cursive. It might feel like a leap at first, but you could be surprised at how quickly your child adapts—and how lovely their handwriting becomes.
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I would love to know your thoughts and if you have you have any questions.
Please send me an email Mary@whatabouthomeschooling.com
~”…and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.” Prov. 16:21
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