April 26, 2023 – Cursive and Copywork

Hey, Mama!

Gena Suarez, Publisher of TOS

Using Scripture to Teach Writing

Hey Mama,

We’ve been on our homeschooling journey for what sometimes seems like forever—and it will be a little while before we reach the end of our destination. (Our youngest, Zion, is 10.) But we do our best to enjoy each stop along the way.

Although we haven’t done “schooling” in the traditional sense, the kids are always learning—even during road trips. They’ve seen some interesting places and learned some geography. Years ago, Paul bought Sani her first road atlas so she could follow our routes when we travel. Sometimes when we’re on the road, the kids bring their iPads or Kindles so they can use educational apps to do their schoolwork. We also love to sing in the van together, which is Chloe’s favorite part of any ride. And there’s been a lot of character training—especially on longer trips. (Grin.)

Psalm 32:1 says, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” If we want our children to be blessed, we must train them in the ways of the Lord—both at home and on the go. I try to make it a daily habit to be in prayer and in the Word. After all, God’s Word is the authority by which we live, and our children can see us modeling this. Are we perfect? Far from it. Are our children perfect? Of course not; only the Lord is, but He is always pruning, refining, shaping and changing us to be more like Him. He sanctifies us.

Similar training can be used when teaching handwriting. You can make it part of your daily routine, and even use Scripture to help. When doing copywork, simply have your kids copy their favorite Bible verses. Then you can use those same passages when teaching cursive. Their handwriting will improve as they begin to hide God’s Word in their heart.

These articles from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine have some additional suggestions:

Teaching Cursive in Your Homeschool, by Janice Campbell
15 Ways to Motivate Your Child to Do Copywork, by Susan Brown
Cursive Handwriting Does Serve a Purpose, by Mark Graham

You can do this, Mama. You are the daughter of the King. Look up and take notice of the hope that is within you. It comes from the Lord, and He will never leave or forsake you. Take hold of that and know each day that His hand is on your head. Always.

~gena

Best Practices for Copywork

Copywork has been an important tool for learning and improving handwriting skills for centuries — and still is! Copywork can mean tracing or copying model handwriting, using letters, words, sentences or short paragraphs. 

Here are some best practices:

• Students learn the most when they copy a handwriting model freehand, compared to only tracing.
• Youngsters and students with learning challenges benefit from reading out loud what they have just written.
• Fluency or careful attention to detail? Talk ahead of time about your mutual goals. No matter what, aim for legibility.
• Encourage good posture.
• Choose a pen or pencil that makes a line easily with little pressure. Students should hold it lightly, with two fingers and thumb forming a tripod.
• Select material that is age appropriate. Gradually increase the difficulty of the material over time. 
• Avoid comparing one student’s speed with that of another.
• There are many styles of handwriting, so be certain that what your student is copying is a good model of the handwriting method you are using.
• Encourage students to find examples in their copywork that they believe match the model very well. Then have them pick one letter, or two or more letters that join, that they would like to work on to improve.
• Provide feedback and positive reinforcement to encourage students as they progress. Celebrate small achievements and offer constructive suggestions when necessary.
• Keep the materials used for copywork fresh and engaging. For example, avoid writing more than five single letters in a row.
• Encourage students to practice regularly, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day.
• Students can add their own personal touches, such as made-up words, illustrations, or decorations to their work. Be creative!

Find more tips at handwritingsuccess.com/handwriting-tips/.

You can make your own copywork pages and try the Getty-Dubay® Font for free at handwritingsuccess.com.

15% off Getty-Dubay® products with code GDTOS15.

Is handwriting really important?The answer is YES! To learn about the brain connection and more, read this post by My Teaching Library!

Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

Teach Cursive if You Want, But Don’t Feel You Must

Several years ago, I addressed this topic and boldly said that it was unnecessary to teach cursive writing, but now that I’ve matured and had some children grow up and finish our homeschool, I’d like to say . . . that’s it’s almost pointless to waste your time teaching cursive writing.

Now if you love teaching it and you think it’s necessary to lead a productive life . . . then teach it. You’re smart enough to know what your kids need. BUT if you’re like me and can’t even think of one application of cursive (except a signature) then you don’t have to teach it, EVEN if the experts say you should.

My wife thinks our kids need to be able to read cursive, and she teaches it to our kids because she loves to write in cursive and thinks it’s faster. But she doesn’t stress if they are somewhat messy or cannot do it well.

The same principle applies as always: God made you smart enough to know what your kids need in the future. I mean who writes cursive anymore? I’ve been trying to remember the last time I wrote something using cursive and can’t recall when that would have been . . . maybe a check?!

Even signatures have changed and have become scribbles and a mixture of sloppy lettering and hieroglyphics. So, this is one less thing you have to stress about. Instead, you can concentrate on important stuff like math basics, reading good stories, and spending time with your children who are growing up so quickly.

Be real,
Todd

P.S. To see where I’ll be speaking in the next few months, check out my schedule page. And don’t forget, if you live within 250 miles of Milford, IN you could have me speak at your homeschool kick-off in the fall.

About the author

Todd Wilson is a husband, dad, grandpa, writer, homeschool conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker all across the country and a guest on Focus on the Family. As founder of The Familyman and The Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind moms and dads of what’s most important through weekly emails, podcasts, seminars, and books that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, homeschool four of their eight children (the other four are homeschool graduates) in northern Indiana and travel America in the Familyman Mobile. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

Adam and Dianne Riveiro

Pillar of Future
Adam and Dianne Riveiro – Make Penmanship Fun

I think we all agree that handwriting can be one of the classes that brings out frustration in parents and students. One of the contributing factors to this is that handwriting can be boring. Notice I said “can be” and not “is.” Instead of copying endless meaningless sentences just for the sake of it, use some of these tips to keep handwriting class fun and innovative.

1. During the early stages of handwriting, try different modalities for your child to experiment with. For example, let them finger paint their letters or write in kinetic sand. Remember, the goal here is not perfection, but rather to simply learn the formation of letters.
2. Once your child has mastered the proper formation, repetition is key. Have them write with a purpose by writing out their memory verses or their spelling lists. Don’t forget to mix in some creativity so your learners don’t feel like they are just doing busy work.
3. When my girls got to middle school, penmanship became more about practicing other skills than the actual penmanship itself. We focused on useful projects like letter writing, creative writing assignments, or research papers. This gave them a sense of accomplishment rather than the feeling of frustration.

Make penmanship fun and see if it changes your child’s perspective . . . and yours too!

-Dianne

About the author

Pastor Adam and Dianne Riveiro live in Easton, Massachusetts, where Adam leads Liberty Baptist Church. They’re the authors of several books, including Hope from Our Heart to Yours: A 30-Day Devotional Journey for Special Needs Families, available from their family’s publishing label at www.readyscribepublications.com. They have four children: Bethany, Kaylee, AJ, and Peyton. They’re passionate about helping their fellow special needs families find joy and contentment in Christ.

Get your student writing with daily practice for printing and cursive with the Everyday Copywork course from SchoolhouseTeachers.com. You have nearly 200 printable language arts worksheets, in print and cursive to trace and copy using several themes. Alphabet worksheets are provided for younger students as well.