Is Cursive Handwriting Still Worth Teaching?

Many schools have dropped cursive, while others still teach it every year. Parents are left wondering whether it is worth the time. The honest answer is that cursive is useful but optional. Clear, fluent handwriting matters; the particular style is a matter of choice, school policy and family preference.

The case for cursive

Supporters point to several benefits. Joined writing can be faster because the pencil lifts less often. Many children find that cursive helps them avoid letter reversals, since b and d look quite different when written in cursive. The flowing motion can improve fine motor control, and a cursive signature is still a useful life skill. In some countries cursive is the normal everyday handwriting from the early primary years, and children are expected to read it in older documents and family letters.

The case against

Critics note that many adults today write in a mixture of print and joined letters, and that most writing outside school is typed. Time spent on cursive could go to keyboarding, spelling or composition. There is also no strong evidence that cursive is superior to well-taught print for learning to write or read. If a child already writes legibly and fluently in print, there is no harm in leaving it there.

A sensible middle path

Most children benefit from learning print well first. When handwriting is legible and automatic, usually around age seven or eight, cursive can be introduced if you or the school want it. Even if a child never uses cursive for daily writing, learning to read it helps them with old letters, certificates, historic documents and some signs and menus.

How to teach cursive step by step

1. Check readiness. The child should hold a pencil comfortably and write print letters with the correct size and spacing.
2. Start with the pencil-stroke shapes. Practise the loops, curves and slanted lines that appear in most letters.
3. Teach letters in groups by shape. Letters such as a, c, d, g, o and q start with the same curve, so they are easier to learn together. See our cursive letter pages.
4. Join letters into short words. Begin with easy joins such as “at”, “in” and “on”.
5. Move to sentences and short passages using sheets such as cursive words, sentences and passages.

Practical tips

• Use a comfortable pencil grip and good posture, with the paper slanted slightly for the writing hand.
• Keep sessions to ten minutes. Hand fatigue discourages beginners.
• Left-handed children may need the paper tilted the other way and a clear view of their writing; let them find what works.
• Praise neatness and effort, not speed.

The bottom line

Teach legible print first. Add cursive if you like it, if your school uses it, or if your child enjoys the flow of joined letters. Either way, regular short practice beats occasional long sessions. Our free Cursive Handwriting Course gives a complete path from the first letter to full passages.

Frequently asked questions