How can an 8th grader improve handwriting?

[rwalizer]

The handwriting programs seem to be geared for young student but my ds has awful handwriting. I would really like him to be able to use nice cursive-no need for anything fancy, just good old fashioned cursive. I would probably use it right along with him since my handwriting is just as bad!

[langfam]

http://www.homeschool.com/resources/GettyDubay/default.asp

I use this with my boys. No loops. They didn't want "girly" handwriting books .

I'm trying BJU with my youngest this year.

[Kathie in VA]

Handwriting Skills Simplified series is pretty straight forward and not little kiddish.

http://www.elp-web.com/pages/subject/hand.htm

hth

[In The Great White North]

:iagree: We used the ELP ones - the "Traditional" version. No frills, cartoons, stories, Bible verses, etc, etc. Just writing.

[elegantlion]

The handwriting programs seem to be geared for young student but my ds has awful handwriting. I would really like him to be able to use nice cursive-no need for anything fancy, just good old fashioned cursive. I would probably use it right along with him since my handwriting is just as bad!

I think anyone can improve their handwriting. My 6th grade teacher publicly embarassed me in front of the class, telling me my handwriting was atrocious. :glare: I was so mad I spent the entire summer practicing and now everyone says I have very neat handwriting.

I have a unique style that is half cursive/half print. I practiced in a notebook writing out the alphabet over and over in many different ways. Of course I had motivation to change, so that helped.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

[MyCrazyHouse]

We're using Spencerian Penmanship (http://www.amazon.com/Spencerian-Penmanship-Theory-Book-copybooks/dp/088062096X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218150582&sr=8-1) for cursive this year. There's nothing fluffy, just stroke and letter formation practice, originally intended for professional men. This is simplified Spencerian - no fountain pen or flourishes. I am not a fan of the giant, fat, loopy method we were taught in school and was looking for something that approximates my handwriting for my 7 year old.

You can also find the now out-of-print Palmer workbooks all over the place online and Evan-Moor's Daily Penmanship (Traditional) (http://www.evan-moor.com/Title.aspx?CurriculumID=26&SeriesID=34&TitleID=137&EmcID=132) is fairly Palmer-esque.

It's funny how often I see huge, contentious debates on whether handwriting should be taught - when I was looking for a handwriting program for script, most of what I found was pleas from teens and adults who wanted to improve their awful handwriting.