You can print neatly now (Copying Neatly). Next comes cursive, a way of writing where the letters of a word are joined, so the pencil stays on the paper until the word is done.
Key idea
Cursive uses the same 26 letters as print, with joining strokes and some new shapes.
Why it works
Because the pencil doesn’t lift between letters, cursive can be quick and smooth. People also use it to sign their names, and knowing it lets you read old letters and documents.
Worked example: Same or different?
Is cursive a new alphabet?
- Cursive has the same letters: a, b, c and on to z.
- Each letter has a little stroke that leads in and one that leads out.
- Some letters look a lot like print (a, d, o), and some look new (r, s, f).
Answer: No: the same letters, joined.
Common mistake
Thinking cursive is a different set of letters to memorize from scratch. Look for the print letter inside each cursive one.
For the grown-up. The cursive taught here is a traditional American style in the manner of A. N. Palmer’s 1915 course, which the site guides lesson by lesson (Palmer Method guides). Paper tilt matters more for cursive: see Placing the Paper.