You have met every cursive letter. Now we join them. Each letter ends with an exit stroke, and that stroke swings right into the next letter’s entry. The pencil stays down until the word is done.
Key idea
One letter’s exit becomes the next letter’s entry: write the whole word, then lift and add dots and crosses.
Why it works
Joined letters are the point of cursive: the hand keeps moving, so writing is smooth and quick, and each word holds together as one shape.
Worked example: Write cat
How many times do you lift the pencil to write cat in cursive?
- c, a and t are joined, so the pencil stays down for the whole word.
- Lift once at the end.
- Go back and cross the t.
Answer: Once, at the end; then cross the t.
Common mistake
Lifting the pencil after every letter, so the word comes out in pieces. Try saying the whole word as you write it, and keep moving until it’s done.
For the grown-up. Remember the high joins after b, o, v and w from Tricky Connectors. Palmer practices joining with short words such as mum, moon and noon.