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chicken lady
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
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What are some thoughts on this from an unschooling perspective? I have 2 that want to learn cursive, they are 11 and 9 (not sure what grade that would be) but their printing is terrible. I told them we would start practicing cursive, what do you all think I should so with their printing?
This is what I love about unschooling.....I was talking about the Spencerian script thread with my dh. I told him I was going to start practicing and learning this method, next thing I know the girls are all into it!!!
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lapazfarm
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I think if they want to learn cursive you should go for it. It may end up helping their printing in the end by developing their small motor skills and the habit of attention to letter formation.
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mom2mpr
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I used Handwriting Without Tears with ds when he was younger. We were working through the printing book(which he loved) and he got the "I want to learn cursive" bug. So, I bought the cursive book and he brought it on a trip with us. He spent all his plane time working in that book!! He was so proud telling all his seat mates he was home schooled and learning cursive. He really worked hard at it too--even in turbulence :) He had some fine motor issues but with low pressure(unschooling?)has beautiful printing and cursive. Well, when he takes the time :) Yes, we went back to the printing book occasionally for review.
I also vote-go for it!
Anne
I did read somewhere that some curriculum's(Abeka?)teach cursive first....
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SallyT
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My son has struggled with handwriting, largely, I think, because we really didn't encourage good letter formation earlier on -- I didn't care WHAT script he wrote, and for all kinds of reasons I hesitated to force the handwriting issue at all, but the fact that he was coming up with these tortured ways to form letters has meant that now these are his hand-habits, and they keep him slowed down. Live and learn . . .
As he's 9 I really hated to go back to square one with manuscript ABCs, and I figured that retraining his hand at this late date was a non-starter, so I suggested to him that maybe we try cursive -- it would be new and different and also more grown-up. He liked the idea, and though it's coming along slowly, he really likes working on the cursive letters. He does them well, too, I have to say! We have used a little ELP workbook, and I have something called Draw and Write Through History, which offers both simple drawing techniques and some cursive passages to copy, to build on that. I am thinking, also, that the training will help improve his printing.
My oldest, now 13, has never written in cursive. She went to school for four years (in England), and handwriting was the bane of her existence. She can, if she tries, write in a reasonably clear "join-up" hand. That's the style she uses most, but if she needs to print, she can do it clearly. I don't think you really forget how, once you've learned. On the other hand, as she's said numerous times, it's nice to know how to read other people's cursive, which she has a hard time doing! It's worth learning it at least a little, because whether or not you use cursive yourself, it's a safe bet that lots of other people around you will.
In general, I'm not a great stickler for handwriting,as in favoring one kind over another, but I'd like them to be able to produce writing they themselves can read, and writing they can produce without its been such a major effort that they're unable to concentrate on WHAT they're writing. That largely just comes with time! I don't care what kind of script they use, as long as they can do it easily and relatively readably. My oldest also likes lettering and calligraphy -- suddenly it's art, which makes it all okay! I'm waiting to see if her handwriting becomes more calligraphy-influenced as time goes by.
Anyway, I'd just go with whatever kind of writing they are inclined to practice. Cursive won't hurt the printing, as someone else pointed out. Actually, my own handwriting now, which isn't so bad when I take the time to think about what I'm doing, is kind of a combination of print and cursive. Maybe yours will end up with their own distinctive (and hopefully readable!) hands.
Pax,
Sally
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vmalott
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Like Sally, my oldest son's manuscript handwriting was, and still is, atrocious. We also decided to move forward to learning cursive, rather than backtracking to manuscript. We started this last year when he was 10. He is still working through HWT. His cursive writing is much better than manuscript, though he's not very comfortable writing in cursive independently (without a copy), so he still does a lot of written work in manuscript. poor kid.
Anyway, all that is to say, go ahead with cursive. My oldest (almost 13) wanted to learn cursive when she was about 9, so I printed out a chart for her, showed her a couple of tricks, and that was it. She does most of her work in cursive now. She's much more of a language and writing person, whereas oldest son is math and hands-on.
8yo lefty daughter has recently asked to learn cursive, so we'll probably go ahead with it.
Valerie
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CKwasniewski
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Can I join in here?
I really need some advice with this. My ds (7 1/2) will spend a long time making fancy curlicues on his handwriting, little faces, etc.--so much so that its hardly readable, or he will rush through it and make it so sloppy that its not readable either. 
He hates it if I tell him "just write normal." We went thru the Italic workbook A and B, but I can't say that's what he writes.  He doesn't want to start over, and he doesn't want to do the work to learn cursive. In fact, he just wants to do his own thing. Period.
Because of this, I've given up on copy work.... 
I'm wondering how to go about this from a new angle.
Do you thing HWT would help? What is ELP?
Thanks for any thoughts on this.
CK
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Jennifer
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Go for it!!! On somewhat wide lined paper write, in your best cursive, a copywork selection. Then help your child by describing how to write each letter and connect them. I started doing this with my daughter about 3 weeks ago and at first (after begging to learn cursive) wanted to quit. We continued with the cursive 3 to 4 times/week. Now today she said "this cursive thing is fun". It's also helped her since I put a cursive letter chart on the wall.
Jennifer
Camp Homeschool]
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Leonie
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I'd say , let them go with cursive, if that is want they want to learn - it is all handwriting, isn't it? 
CK, can you talk to your ds re different forms of handwriting for different purposes - his own thing in his journal ( for example), more conventional writing when writing for others to read?
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CKwasniewski
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Leonie,
I HAVE talked to him, several times!  He cries! But He's willing to do HWT or something similar if I make him. That was the result of talking last week.
As for a journal, I haven't tried to have him keep one. His main form of written communcation is drawing. He has hundreds of drawings.... I think that creativity is what's dominating his writing. And he thinks, if its not beautiful, why spend time on it?
I'm glad this is in the unschooling forum, bc. I DO "unschool" for certain subjects and this is one where I want to go with HIS wants and needs.
When I have showed him other scripts, even fancy Spencerian, he said, he just wants to do his own writing. The only other one he liked was from a calligrapy book--letters made out of birds!
I'd love any advice. Thanks for your help, Leonie!
CK
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vmalott
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| Posted: Sept 11 2007 at 2:11pm | IP Logged
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CK,
Has he seen the examples from HWT? I'm not sure he'd find it "beautiful" though I think it's probably helpful if he'd rather just go learning on his own. Honestly, if he's already doing all this extra business with his own writing--the curlicues and what-not--I don't think learning cursive would be a big stretch work-wise. Maybe he'll appreciate how the letters all flow into one another once he gets started and gets some sort of flow.
Valerie
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Sept 11 2007 at 6:37pm | IP Logged
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I was looking through (again) to find samples for him to look at. We came upon Draw Write Now. He loved the idea... but it's not really a handwriting program is it? Its more copywork with a pic., right?
I need to find something that will help him improve his letter formation. He starts at the bottom a lot, sometimes reverses, etc.
I will look at some different cursive scripts with him and see if we can get somewhere. (He does try to do joins on his own, and is pleased by them....)
Sorry for tiring you all with this!
CK
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Pricelesslorna
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My ds (7 1/2) will spend a long time making fancy curlicues on his handwriting, little faces, etc.--so much so that its hardly readable, or he will rush through it and make it so sloppy that its not readable either.
He hates it if I tell him "just write normal." We went thru the Italic workbook A and B, but I can't say that's what he writes. He doesn't want to start over, and he doesn't want to do the work to learn cursive. In fact, he just wants to do his own thing. Period.
CK
[/QUOTE]
Some of us just "Have" to do it our own way, I see that as OK.......
I would be inclined to acknowledge his unique creative style, and give him freedom to use it, even buying him a set of Calligraphy pens so that he can grow his skill, and even if you buy him a book of calligraphy styles, don't expect his to look like those.
You could find that the more freedom you give his creativeness, the more he will respond happily in other areas.
To someone with a need to express their creativity, "just write normal" is like putting them in a straightjacket, to them it feels really restrictive. (sorry to be so frank).
For me, I find that one of the lovely things about unschooling is that the child has far more freedom of expression, and it's beautiful to see Gods creative spirit given the freedom to move in them.
Lorna
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CKwasniewski
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Lorna,
I think you are right. Its too restrictive for him.... He's exploding with energy and creativity!
I don't expect his handwriting to look like the model, I know it will change and grow as he does. He just takes that a few steps further.
Maybe we can come to a compromise... some of both. Working on basic formation and giving him "room to roam"
with calligraphy pens.
Thank you for reminding me why I homeschool-- So that God's creative spirit can move in them! 
thanks,
CK
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Leonie
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| Posted: Sept 12 2007 at 12:33am | IP Logged
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CKwasniewski wrote:
Leonie,
I HAVE talked to him, several times! He cries!
CK |
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I definitely don't think it's worth a hassle and tears - and I know you don't either, Ck.  Maybe just let it be for now - he's young, he's creative, as Lorna said.
Some of my kids write better with textas ( felt pens) and with ink and gel pens than they do with conventional pens/pencils - so that is always a possible solution.
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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CKwasniewski
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Leonie,
I'll try markers today and see how it goes. Gel pens sound like fun too.
Now, can anybody recommend a calligraphy book or boook and pen set?
ck
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Pricelesslorna
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Borders usually stock a couple of Kits that have pens, nibs and books all bundles together.
Lorna
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Sept 12 2007 at 6:19pm | IP Logged
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I wish I were anywhere near a Borders!! Argh! We have Walmart and Kmart 1/2 hr away! Wyoming middle of nowhere!
I talked to ds about this calligraphy possibility. He just wants to be left alone. Even the idea of pens did not interest him!!
So, I plan to leave him alone for now, and get him some calligraphy stuff for Christmas. Maybe he'll be interested when he actually has it in hand.
thanks again, ladies!
I really do appreciate it.
Blessings,
CK
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Leonie
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| Posted: Sept 12 2007 at 6:35pm | IP Logged
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CKwasniewski wrote:
| So, I plan to leave him alone for now, and get him some calligraphy stuff for Christmas. Maybe he'll be interested when he actually has it in hand. |
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Sounds like a great solution to me - time, and a fun gift, solves all!
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Leonie in Sydney
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Sept 12 2007 at 7:10pm | IP Logged
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You know, I am getting to like unschooling more and more all the time!
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: Handwriting
