Unique "problem", boys forgot how to print, WWYD?

[one l michele]

My oldest learned Calvert Script in 1st after using HWOT in K, my middle ds went straight to Script in K. Once they no longer had to think about letter formation, they switched to using script full time. Script is natural to them now. However, when they are asked to print for things such as math, crossword puzzles, etc., they can't remember how to form the letters. They can read print obviously, but go blank at writing that way.

My oldest is 9 and left handed. My middle ds is 7. I also have a 5 y/o who I had planned to teach to write using Getty Dubbay Italic, he's simply not ready yet, where my other two were early writers. I do have the blackline master cd for Italic A.

So I'm pondering, do I just teach Italic to all three? Would you start at level A with all three or do something different with the older two?

Any feedback on Getty Dubbay Italic?

What would you do with the older two if they were your kids?

On one hand I'm happy they write in cursive naturally, but there will be times they need to print. How much time is worth devoting to that though? How do you keep them comfortable with both?

[MamaT]

I use Getty Dubbay with my kids. I would probably put the older kids in the "D" book. The lines are smaller. I think the lines would be too large for them in the "A" book.

[LatinTea]

Well....my 18 yo left-handed ds abhors to print anything! He loves to write in cursive, whereas printing seems so, well, mechanical to him. I blame GB Italics. After Italics got ingrained in his way of writing (about year 2 of teaching it), I read that this way of learning to write actually slows down your child's writing (he was extremely slow with the process then) so I had him modify some aspects of Italics. I used Smithhand for that. Glad I did that, but wish I had never touched an Italics' book. :glare:

Margo