Handwriting is an essential aspect of learning since it determines the quality of writings produced by students. And cursive writing is one of the forms of handwriting that has taken a backseat for some time now with the rise of tablets, word processors, etc., Unlike conventional writing, this form of writing necessitates a unique set of skills in order to write it.
In some contexts, most people employ cursive writing techniques as a kind of creativity and handwriting. However, cursive writing has got many benefits that you may not know. This article will explore the importance of cursive writing and guide you on how to write in cursive.
But before that, let us cover some basics about cursive writing.
What Is Cursive Handwriting?
Cursive handwriting, also known as scripted or joined-up handwriting, was invented in the 17th century. Prior to the invention of the typewriter, cursive writing letters was the favored mode of communication for lawyers and doctors. In fact, cursive was regarded as a ‘fair hand,’ and it was thought to be suited to particular letters and documents.
This writing is a type of penmanship that employs a flowing manner to facilitate speedier writing and is always interwoven and looped. In short, it is a beautiful art that needs some practice to get adept at it.
Each letter of the alphabet commences on a line and curves up or down. Once you’ve mastered the ABCs of cursive text, you’ll be able to start placing cursive letters together to make words and, eventually, sentences.
Importance Of Cursive Writing
With computers becoming the dominant source of writing, many administrators say that teaching cursive writing is unnecessary and that time would be better spent teaching keyboard skills. However, many children and parents believe that teaching cursive writing is still essential and should not be rejected so soon.
There are, in fact, many benefits when it comes to learning cursive, and a majority of them are concerned with mental growth and intellectual abilities. Some of them are given here:
- Improved writing capabilities
- Improved memory and motor control
- Enhanced academic performance
- Acts as a successful therapy for dyslexia and other such conditions
Furthermore, cursive writing is a distinct art form that helps develop that part (side) of the brain that is not developed through essential reading and writing skills. Additionally, cursive writing provides much-needed creativity to your learning and makes it more diverse.
Facts About Writing In Cursive
Here are some interesting points on cursive writing that’ll make you want to learn about this art form:
- Supports flow of thoughts: There has been numerous research on the effect of writing in cursive, but one of the most notable is a 1976 study published in the journal Academic Therapy. It indicated that writing words continuously, instead of the interrupted structure of block letters, fostered a greater understanding of whole words than isolated letters. After all, humans think architecturally, not phonetically, and cursive aids in reinforcing this.
- Gets your brain charged up: Cursive may appear to be just another kind of writing, but studies have shown that it activates different neural pathways. Furthermore, reading cursive content stimulates different regions of the brain than reading printed text. One study discovered that fewer errors occurred when information was displayed to the brain’s left hemisphere than when it was shown to the right hemisphere. This advantage was substantially less while reading cursive, indicating that the right hemisphere plays a far more significant role in reading cursive than in written form.
- Enhances neural connections: Cursive handwriting engages the brain in ways that typing does not. It promotes the dynamic interplay of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, aids in the formation of neural networks, and boosts mental performance.
- Assists in motor control: Cursive handwriting naturally fosters sensory development. Through repetition, the children learn how much force to apply to the pencil and paper, how to align the pencil to the paper at the ideal angle, and how to motor plan to make each letter in a flowing motion from left to right. This physical and spatial awareness enables them to write. Still, it also lays the brain foundation for a variety of everyday actions such as buttoning, fastening, tying shoes, picking up things, copying words off blackboards, and, most crucially, reading. Cursive handwriting is a good motor ability that can be honed with practice. This can help people with developmental dysgraphia improve their writing skills.
- Increases writing speed: A simple cursive style’s connectedness is faster to write than printing’s stop-and-start strokes. It has been demonstrated that writing at a faster pace increases attention span. Thus, it helps improve the consistency and flow of writing, which stimulates more writing.
- Increase your ability to spell correctly: The process of writing down words and thinking about them as a single unit increases your chances of remembering their proper spelling rather than just typing them out. As a result, cursive writers tend to spell more precisely. Furthermore, it helps improve muscle memory, as the hand memorizes letter patterns through repeated fluid movements. The same process occurs when a pianist acquires hand movement patterns over time.
- Eases the learning process: Cursive is very beneficial for those who struggle with learning disabilities such as dysgraphia, dyslexia, and other attention deficits.
- Helps develop an impressive signature: Writing in cursive handwriting will enhance your signature’s legibility, attractiveness, and fluidity.
- Improves information retention: Taking notes by hand rather than on a computer allows students to absorb and reframe information, resulting in higher understanding and retention. According to studies, college students remembered knowledge better one week later when they transcribed a paragraph in cursive rather than printed or typed it.
- Enhances self-discipline: Cursive handwriting is a complicated skill that requires the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Thus, learning letters in cursive encourages youngsters to cultivate self-discipline, which is a valuable ability in all aspects of life.
The Art Of Learning How To Write In Cursive
Cursive writing is required for all students, including graduates. Because practically all writing is done these days digitally, most individuals have forgotten how to use a pen and paper. However, this does not rule out the probability of having to write something on paper, such as a preliminary draft of an essay.
Let’s get started with the step-by-step instructions for writing in cursive without further ado.
Step 1: Begin with the basics
It is usually always best to start with the basics while learning something new. The first step in learning to write in cursive is learning the alphabet. Cursive writing was once so popular that it was taught in classrooms until computers took a turn for the worst.
Now that computers have taken over traditional schooling techniques, cursive writing is less common among students. Nonetheless, if you want to master cursive writing, you may accomplish so with only a fraction of your dedication and focus.
Step 2: Learn to write the lowercase cursive alphabet
Begin with the lowercase letters for a quick start in cursive writing. It is recommended that you begin with the letter ‘u’ as it is the easiest to learn. Next, go for the letters f, b, I h, k, j, m, l, p, n, s, r, x, w, and y.
The letters indicated above are by far the easiest to master since the letters are all constructed with a single stroke. Usually, the majority of the lowercase letters stay between the bottom and top lines. And some go directly to the bottom line and others touch the top line. Only the lowercase, for example, goes beneath and above the bottom and top lines.
Next, try starting with the lowercase letter ‘o.’ If you believe you have mastered this letter, next proceed to b, f, k. These letters are a little more complicated than the ones stated earlier. Even though these letters are made up of a single stroke, their shape is a little more complicated.
Learning to write cursive letters will become significantly less complicated once you feel comfortable writing these letters. Similarly, go on to the letters c, d, and e, which have a more curved stroke.
You can gain mastery over cursive writing by learning lowercase letters. This is a basic and essential step. As soon as this is accomplished, you can move on to learning more complex letters.
Step 3: Practice Uppercase Cursive Alphabets
It is suggested that you acquire perfect knowledge of lowercase letters before beginning uppercase cursive writing. You should begin learning uppercase cursive writing with the letters C, G, E, O, and L. Begin with the letter L and work your way up to the other uppercase letters.
Once you master the above-mentioned letters, move on to mastering the uppercase letter R, which is one of the most difficult uppercase letters to write in cursive. After you’ve gained command over the letter R, practice the letters – B, F, D, P, I, J, and T.
Note: Writing in cursive will feel like child’s play if you have a firm hold on the letter R.
Step 4: Select A Perfect Cursive Font
The fourth step is to pick a font style that you are comfortable with for your cursive writing. Many cursive writers adopt a typeface and remain with it for the rest of their lives.
They usually select frequently available popular word processing applications such as Microsoft Word. The best way to select a font is to thoroughly examine each one and choose which one is most suited to your job. Here are some fonts that you can consider:
- Aquafina Script Pro
- Allura
- Caballero
- Kuenstler Script
- Columbine Light
- Lavender Script
- Fancier Script
- Hummingbird
- Shelley Script
- Buffet Script
- Blackjack
- Citadel Script
- Creamy Script
- Ritts Cursive
- Belinda
- Ragazza Script
- Style Script
- Brody
- Bendo Script
You may select and practice the cursive fonts given above regularly to gain mastery over them.
Step 5: Practice On A Regular Basis
By now, you know that cursive writing is not simple handwriting that can be acquired in a few days. Thus, it is a great idea to devote some time and devotion to practicing this style of writing. It is best to dedicate at least 20 minutes every day to focus on letters.
As mentioned above, begin with lowercase and go to uppercase. This will make the learning process much more manageable. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, writing in this style is pretty simple.
Furthermore, you can draft your essays in cursive and later type them into a word document. This helps you to jot down your thoughts effortlessly and provide extra practice with writing cursive letters.
Tips For Cursive Writing
- Always start with lowercase letters when learning to write in cursive.
- You can download cursive writing sheets to practice the style regularly. Just copy or trace the letters given in the sheet.
- Once you’ve perfected writing lowercase cursive letters, move on to capital letters. You can practice them by copying or using the tracing technique.
- Make sure the letters are combined neatly.
- Choose a typeface early on, as this allows you to concentrate on a specific method of writing in cursive.
- Before moving on to more complex characters, practice simple letters like O or U that require only one pen stroke.
- Practicing cursive writing for at least 20 minutes a day is a good idea.
- Don’t go overboard by writing too quickly. Take your time to write elegantly.
- Do not exert excessive pressure when writing. This is a common mistake made by beginners when learning to write in cursive. Always keep the stencils flexible when writing in cursive.
- Practice movement activities to improve your cursive writing skills.
- Cursive handwriting adds a lot more personality to your material than typing it in a word processor.
- Think of utilizing lined paper. It is significantly superior for any writing style or type, but especially for cursive.
- Do not worry if you cannot obtain lined paper. Print some lined paper or use plain paper for your practice
- Students should engage in movement activities on a regular basis as cursive writing requires continuous strokes. This activity would train the hand muscles to support their wrists and shoulders.
Conclusion
Cursive writing is a unique method of writing alphabets, words, and sentences. This writing style differs from regular writing and employs continuous strokes. Basically, writers loop and connect alphabets to produce words or sentences. Although acquiring this skill takes time, it is worth the effort. You can follow the steps and tips in this article to start your cursive writing journey.
