We had luck with a small white board (lined on one side) and dry erase markers. We practice sometimes but often play games or make grocery lists or something that seems less like work.

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.

Our kids never learned cursive at FCPS. They are MS age now.

I thought they recently brought it back as a part of the curriculum within the past few years (so your kids probably missed it).

First PP who mentioned cursive in FCPS. It was part of the standards when my 8th grader was in 3rd. Now - that was the height of online school, but she still had to do the same Zaner Bloser workbook as her siblings.

My current 4th grader had cursive last year and this year in FCPS. My current 7th grader never learned it in school.

My child was in 2nd and 3rd grade during Covid. Probably the same as your son. That’s the time they introduce cursive so they missed it. They sent some program or papers for them with cursive practice but I didn’t bother giving them to her. There were too many important things at that age like multiplication and reading and writing in print.

Cursive is like Latin, it’s from a time long ago.

What is wrong with Learning without Tears? I’ve found it has taught my reluctant left-handed 5th grade boy beautifully neat print and cursive.

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.

Our kids never learned cursive at FCPS. They are MS age now.

I thought they recently brought it back as a part of the curriculum within the past few years (so your kids probably missed it).

First PP who mentioned cursive in FCPS. It was part of the standards when my 8th grader was in 3rd. Now - that was the height of online school, but she still had to do the same Zaner Bloser workbook as her siblings.

My current 4th grader had cursive last year and this year in FCPS. My current 7th grader never learned it in school.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I don't think this is a private school thing, sweetie. My public school 7th grader also does almost all her work on paper. Nice try with the superiority complex though, bless your teeny tiny little heart.

Anonymous wrote:OP back. Print/manuscript is actually messier than cursive! Many of the manuscript options I'm finding are babyish, but maybe that's whats needed here, back to basics.

My friend works in the city’s voting department. Nonprofit groups who want to put a question on the ballot need get thousands of people agreeing to put their name and address on a form that they agree that the question should be n the ballot. The next step is someone in the voting department needs to verify the names and addresses. So many script writers are so bad that a lot of them have to be thrown out because they aren’t able to decipher the persons name and address. They aren’t asking for signatures either, just write your name.

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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

They do their math on paper. Also drafts and worksheets are done on paper. I remember doing grammar worksheets all year long in 8th grade. Hopefully they will continue that.

Anonymous wrote:Learning Without Tears (formerly Handwriting Without Tears) has resources for through 5th grade.

Please, whatever you do, not that. The lettering they teach is Godawful. You've gotten some better recommendations in another posts.

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.

Our kids never learned cursive at FCPS. They are MS age now.

I thought they recently brought it back as a part of the curriculum within the past few years (so your kids probably missed it).

First PP who mentioned cursive in FCPS. It was part of the standards when my 8th grader was in 3rd. Now - that was the height of online school, but she still had to do the same Zaner Bloser workbook as her siblings.

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.

Our kids never learned cursive at FCPS. They are MS age now.

I thought they recently brought it back as a part of the curriculum within the past few years (so your kids probably missed it).

They also missed phonics, spelling, and grammar.

Learning Without Tears (formerly Handwriting Without Tears) has resources for through 5th grade.

Are you sure your child needs it? Mine turns in sloppy handwriting on schoolwork but projects he does for fun (making his own calendar etc) have perfect neat writing. Maybe your child isn't motivated?

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.

Our kids never learned cursive at FCPS. They are MS age now.

I thought they recently brought it back as a part of the curriculum within the past few years (so your kids probably missed it).

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.

Our kids never learned cursive at FCPS. They are MS age now.

OP back. Print/manuscript is actually messier than cursive! Many of the manuscript options I'm finding are babyish, but maybe that's whats needed here, back to basics.