Although cursive is no longer a part of our standards, there most definitely is a case for cursive. Research shows the following benefits of teaching cursive to students:
- Cursive movements tend to be more natural for children.
- Cursive engages more cognitive skills and improves motor skills.
- It is an effective way for note taking.
- Cursive can help students with disabilities (i.e. dyslexia)
Knowing how cursive can help our students as learners, in my opinion, creates a strong case as to why it is beneficial to bring back to our classrooms. However, many may argue, “How can I find time to add one more thing to my schedule?” I totally get that.
This is where Cursive Club comes in…
What is Cursive Club?
When I created a Cursive Club, I designed it to be simple and manageable for any teacher to implement.
There are two ways that I would recommend to bring cursive back to your schools:
1. Create a club that meets after school, during a specials time, lunch, etc.
2. Start your day with cursive and implement it as a center rotation.
For me, I teach Cursive Club as an after-school activity. (Don’t worry, if you can’t do that, stick with me here! I have another idea!) Students sign up for the club and we meet once a week for about an hour. If this is something you are truly passionate about, it may be worth talking to your administration on how to get it rolling.
If you don’t have this time, it’s ok! I have you covered. In class implementation could look like this:
Start your day with cursive. Make this be the do-now, bell ringer, or whatever you’d like to call it. Teach the letter (this literally takes a few minutes) and then let them practice while you take attendance and get the day started. During this time, they will be completing their practice pages, where they trace and write the letters. From my experience, you can hear a pin drop during this time. My students are always so focused and engaged in their letter formations.
To continue the practice and application of the letters, I have created games and other pages to implement. I know what you’re thinking again, “When will I do that?” Well, my response would be during a center rotation time, or maybe for early finishers. Create a spot in the room, where the games and directions will be stored, and make it a rotation for them. This will become routine and run so smoothly!
Head over to my Facebook to check out Cursive Club LIVES that I have taken during our actual club!
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Please feel free to email me with any questions that you may have about Cursive Club!
