If you're OK with something a little out there, my kids worked on their cursive with this type of workbook. We're French, so for us it worked perfectly, but non-French people can try too:

https://www.amazon.com/Cahier-d%C3%A9criture-Graphilettre-GS-CP-ans/dp/2210757223/ref=sr_1_1?crid=363VTX8P474D1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gkCMbFx4uQhuDaBdgQS10WHWWjTT5w21-0v3D42WgbguRbF-Qd__S2YnpDyRpfKCLcnjguo3dtOzsk90Z0IKmCgOsV5tgKq19qkhZ7JDOQQ6Qnb4Wf97lFcH1S69ChExYoegpMsHhI2B6eK_JbF3VGqdUN0-m-IN5ARXkI6PI1dxHczG-FkHIAS7Wzf4YwTtyamQ-KDJruC-M2lxY30nKvdYJtOYjt5bqvItrHGX0DI.TTcO7qkB1JTQGYxXpr6G4_cgQmNitH3VuACfg95y7g4&dib_tag=se&keywords=graphilettre&qid=1765391808&s=books&sprefix=graphilettre%2Cstripbooks%2C87&sr=1-1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3rd grade is a typical learning cursive age. What style of cursive are you looking for? For example FCPS uses Zaner Bloser (yes, FCPS still officially teaches cursive) as does my kids' private, so to supplement we just get official Zaner Bloser books.

My junior and freshman did not learn any cursive at FCPS. They both have awful handwriting too.

Just because your elementary school didn't follow the standards doesn't mean they aren't there. Our FCPS elementary provided rudimentary cursive instruction in 3rd.

This is from the 3rd grade program of studies:

FFW1. PRINT LEGIBLY IN MANUSCRIPT AND CURSIVE
a. Maintain Legible Printing
b. Write Capital and Lowercase Letters in Cursive
c. Sign His/Her First and Last Name
d. Form Cursive Letters with Flow from One Letter to the Next

(https://insys.fcps.edu/PublicPOS/#/reportPanel/3/0)

Ok, but public school teaching cursive at all is rare. Even in the minority that do, the teach it then never use it again afterward. Kids aren’t required to continuously use it. They will likely forget unless you make them practice regularly at home. Same with print. Handwriting is under utilized in school

You have to go back a lot of decades since they forced students to use cursive in high school. If you work outside of the home how often are you required to use cursive?

When are you required to write anything at all? Maybe we should stop teaching kids to write at all. Clearly they aren’t using writing in any form anymore

It's funny, I remember when I was a kid, "When are we every going to use this?" was a common student complaint. Adults knew that sometimes learning was practical. Other times it was learning for the sake or learning, or learning to be an educated person, or a moral person, etc. Now it's the adults saying, "When was the last time you read a whole book on paper? When do you ever use cursive? We need to get with the times!"

Anonymous wrote:Don’t get him boring handwriting workbooks. Get him activity books that will interest him and also requires writing.

3rd grade is not an older child. That’s when they teach cursive, how could the teacher possibly complain about that, he’s just starting.

Handwriting also requires strong hand control so coloring or anything where you need control is helpful.

I’d get a workbook first. If his handwriting it very sloppy and hard to read, he is likely forming letters incorrectly. He needs to explicitly practice the correct form many times over to obtain muscle memory of how to form letters correctly. Then you move on to various activities that are interesting and require writing to keep up handwriting skills.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3rd grade is a typical learning cursive age. What style of cursive are you looking for? For example FCPS uses Zaner Bloser (yes, FCPS still officially teaches cursive) as does my kids' private, so to supplement we just get official Zaner Bloser books.

My junior and freshman did not learn any cursive at FCPS. They both have awful handwriting too.

Just because your elementary school didn't follow the standards doesn't mean they aren't there. Our FCPS elementary provided rudimentary cursive instruction in 3rd.

This is from the 3rd grade program of studies:

FFW1. PRINT LEGIBLY IN MANUSCRIPT AND CURSIVE
a. Maintain Legible Printing
b. Write Capital and Lowercase Letters in Cursive
c. Sign His/Her First and Last Name
d. Form Cursive Letters with Flow from One Letter to the Next

(https://insys.fcps.edu/PublicPOS/#/reportPanel/3/0)

Ok, but public school teaching cursive at all is rare. Even in the minority that do, the teach it then never use it again afterward. Kids aren’t required to continuously use it. They will likely forget unless you make them practice regularly at home. Same with print. Handwriting is under utilized in school

You have to go back a lot of decades since they forced students to use cursive in high school. If you work outside of the home how often are you required to use cursive?

When are you required to write anything at all? Maybe we should stop teaching kids to write at all. Clearly they aren’t using writing in any form anymore

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3rd grade is a typical learning cursive age. What style of cursive are you looking for? For example FCPS uses Zaner Bloser (yes, FCPS still officially teaches cursive) as does my kids' private, so to supplement we just get official Zaner Bloser books.

My junior and freshman did not learn any cursive at FCPS. They both have awful handwriting too.

Just because your elementary school didn't follow the standards doesn't mean they aren't there. Our FCPS elementary provided rudimentary cursive instruction in 3rd.

This is from the 3rd grade program of studies:

FFW1. PRINT LEGIBLY IN MANUSCRIPT AND CURSIVE
a. Maintain Legible Printing
b. Write Capital and Lowercase Letters in Cursive
c. Sign His/Her First and Last Name
d. Form Cursive Letters with Flow from One Letter to the Next

(https://insys.fcps.edu/PublicPOS/#/reportPanel/3/0)

Ok, but public school teaching cursive at all is rare. Even in the minority that do, the teach it then never use it again afterward. Kids aren’t required to continuously use it. They will likely forget unless you make them practice regularly at home. Same with print. Handwriting is under utilized in school

You have to go back a lot of decades since they forced students to use cursive in high school. If you work outside of the home how often are you required to use cursive?

Don’t get him boring handwriting workbooks. Get him activity books that will interest him and also requires writing.

3rd grade is not an older child. That’s when they teach cursive, how could the teacher possibly complain about that, he’s just starting.

Handwriting also requires strong hand control so coloring or anything where you need control is helpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3rd grade is a typical learning cursive age. What style of cursive are you looking for? For example FCPS uses Zaner Bloser (yes, FCPS still officially teaches cursive) as does my kids' private, so to supplement we just get official Zaner Bloser books.

My junior and freshman did not learn any cursive at FCPS. They both have awful handwriting too.

Just because your elementary school didn't follow the standards doesn't mean they aren't there. Our FCPS elementary provided rudimentary cursive instruction in 3rd.

This is from the 3rd grade program of studies:

FFW1. PRINT LEGIBLY IN MANUSCRIPT AND CURSIVE
a. Maintain Legible Printing
b. Write Capital and Lowercase Letters in Cursive
c. Sign His/Her First and Last Name
d. Form Cursive Letters with Flow from One Letter to the Next

(https://insys.fcps.edu/PublicPOS/#/reportPanel/3/0)

Ok, but public school teaching cursive at all is rare. Even in the minority that do, the teach it then never use it again afterward. Kids aren’t required to continuously use it. They will likely forget unless you make them practice regularly at home. Same with print. Handwriting is under utilized in school

Anonymous wrote:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRRN33VX?tag=track-ect-usa-531216-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

Something like this? Honestly, once the finish the book, I would just start assigning daily/weekly writing assignments. Part of the problem is kids are doing enough writing in school. They learn the initial letter formation but aren’t getting nearly enough practice

Oh that looks right up his alley!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3rd grade is a typical learning cursive age. What style of cursive are you looking for? For example FCPS uses Zaner Bloser (yes, FCPS still officially teaches cursive) as does my kids' private, so to supplement we just get official Zaner Bloser books.

My junior and freshman did not learn any cursive at FCPS. They both have awful handwriting too.

Just because your elementary school didn't follow the standards doesn't mean they aren't there. Our FCPS elementary provided rudimentary cursive instruction in 3rd.

This is from the 3rd grade program of studies:

FFW1. PRINT LEGIBLY IN MANUSCRIPT AND CURSIVE
a. Maintain Legible Printing
b. Write Capital and Lowercase Letters in Cursive
c. Sign His/Her First and Last Name
d. Form Cursive Letters with Flow from One Letter to the Next

(https://insys.fcps.edu/PublicPOS/#/reportPanel/3/0)

Zaner Bloser has both manuscript and cursive workbooks that are excellent.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRRN33VX?tag=track-ect-usa-531216-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

Something like this? Honestly, once the finish the book, I would just start assigning daily/weekly writing assignments. Part of the problem is kids are doing enough writing in school. They learn the initial letter formation but aren’t getting nearly enough practice

Totally agree with this. My 8th grader mentioned the other day her handwriting got substantially better throughout 7th grade because she switched to a private where she had to take tons of notes by hand in her classes. The practice was what fixed her writing.

Anonymous wrote:3rd grade is a typical learning cursive age. What style of cursive are you looking for? For example FCPS uses Zaner Bloser (yes, FCPS still officially teaches cursive) as does my kids' private, so to supplement we just get official Zaner Bloser books.

My junior and freshman did not learn any cursive at FCPS. They both have awful handwriting too.

3rd grade is a typical learning cursive age. What style of cursive are you looking for? For example FCPS uses Zaner Bloser (yes, FCPS still officially teaches cursive) as does my kids' private, so to supplement we just get official Zaner Bloser books.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRRN33VX?tag=track-ect-usa-531216-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

Something like this? Honestly, once the finish the book, I would just start assigning daily/weekly writing assignments. Part of the problem is kids are doing enough writing in school. They learn the initial letter formation but aren’t getting nearly enough practice

Can anyone recommend a handwriting workbook meant for older children - 3rd grade? Child can print and write in cursive, but needs a lot more practice to work on neatness compared to classmates. Both teachers have specifically mentioned neatness. I'm hoping to find something pretty simple we can take on vacation and work on over winter break. Christian books are fine, but ok with secular resources too.
Any other tips? Another mom mentioned mechanical pencils instead of the yellow standard ones, so we will try that too.