Dysgraphia’s Biggest Helper…Cursive Writing!
I’m not sure what’s happened to cursive writing, but it seems a bit lost in our school system in general today. This is sad for students with dysgraphia, as cursive writing can be their biggest helper.
Cursive flows with the ideas that fire through a smart student’s brain. Printing is clunky, where the student forms sticks and blocks. Also, for a student with dyslexia (this often goes hand in hand with dysgraphia), there are few ways to reverse letters when cursive is used.
Cursive is easy to learn, and I have to question why it isn’t taught in kindergarten. I have seen kindergarten students learn cursive and use it well. The problem that always comes is when second and third graders are asked to switch from using print and go to cursive. They naturally dig in their heels and don’t want to learn this new form of writing. Even those who find it exciting usually have a difficult time transitioning to this new form of writing that seems so foreign to them.
My suggestion is that if you have a child you suspect has dysgraphia to transition as soon as possible to cursive. It may take some time and some effort, but believe me, it will be worth your time. If you are a teacher, spend time on cursive writing. It will pay off in the long run!
A student with dysgraphia is up against a lot. Give him/her the gift of cursive writing, and you’ll find one of the blocks that keeps this student from writing effectively will lessen in time.
Happy writing,
Lisa