Teaching Cursive. New American Cursive from Memoria Press.

[HFClassicalAcademy]

I'm wondering if anyone is using this. It is intended for 1st grade and I"m wondering if your 1st grader should have neat printing skills before they start cursive. Does anyone know if you can do cursive and manuscript at the same time?

The program looks nice and I'm being tempted!!

Liz in NC

[St. Theophan Academy]

You do not have to have printing skills to begin cursive (in fact, they used to teach cursive first - and many people are returning to that trend). I would not try to do cursive and manuscript at the same time - teach the cursive then go back and quickly teach manuscript if you want. As for NAC - I love the script and the way it is taught - I do not like the way they bound the book - we are using it with my youngest - but I am taking the pages out to use them - otherwise the binding gets in her way.

[mamamoon]

does anyone have any more feedback on this nac?
or any other cursive recommendations for that matter.
thanks,
lisa

[mom2moon2]

IMHO, NAC is expensive. There's other beginner cursive program like Cursive First which cost much less and reproducible.

I make my own cursive program using sheets from www.worksheetwork.com

[mamamoon]

is this really intended for first grade? i am looking for something for a second grader, who is already printing. thanks~
lisa

[TundraAcademy]

It is pretty simple. Most pages just have one letter to trace and then a space for the child to print his own. My 1st grader was not impressed. I think he wants to jump into actual words not just one letter at a time. He wants to do Cursive Handwriting (HWOT) like his brother. I wish I had just bought that. It is much less expensive ($8 versus $23). Now that I compare the two, I think HWOT has more to offer!

[TundraAcademy]

Here is a link I asked about this. Maybe it will help:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63884&highlight=cursive

[mamamoon]

ok, thanks~

[caitlinsmom]

I bought the worksheet cd and we like it. DD really likes it and I like the ease of making whatever I want on a worksheet. I do wish I had the workbook so that I could see the way they introduce the letters.

[HollyM]

We also use HWOT cursive, son (9) loves it. Wish I would have let him try it first, printing was pure torture for him.

[gandpsmommy]

Have you looked at Abeka's handwriting books? When dd wanted to learn cursive in first grade we purchased their K5 Writing with Phonics book and it worked out very well for her. She did have a very good grasp on writing manuscript letters before beginning cursive, but I know a few different private schools in our area who begin using Abeka's cursive books in kindergarten (hence the K5 in the title). You can take a look at it on their website.