This article is sponsored by Christ the Savior Academy.
When Mrs. Ellen Ropar came to Christ the Savior Academy as the new Kindergarten teacher, she was admittedly surprised that part of the curriculum included teaching cursive in Kindergarten.
“I knew how difficult cursive writing was for my third grade class at another school. I also felt that Kindergarteners are still learning to recognize letters and learning to print,” Mrs. Ropar explained. “Now I have learned never to underestimate a child!”
It is true that in most schools, cursive is usually delayed until third grade. In some schools it has even been abandoned altogether. But Christ the Savior Academy is doing something different: teaching students cursive in kindergarten.
Mrs. Ropar’s Kindergarten class began their cursive in January, and they are thriving. CSA’s hope is to produce students with beautiful handwriting, and also to help them thrive academically.
A 2018 study by the American Psychological Association revealed that first graders who learned to write in cursive received higher scores in reading and spelling than those who learned to write in manuscript.
Christ the Savior Academy believes there are four reasons why students should learn cursive in kindergarten.
One: It’s fun and developmentally appropriate.
The notion that cursive is advanced is actually a myth. In reality, cursive is easier developmentally because it always has the same starting point for every letter, and requires only three movements: the undercurve, the over curve and the up-and-down. (Or as Mrs. Ropar describes it – “Children, is this an attic letter, a main floor letter or does it go into the basement?) These movements are more natural for children than the straight lines and perfect circles that print requires.
Two: Cursive helps children with learning differences.
For children with dyslexia or dysgraphia, cursive eliminates reversals and helps children do a better job of spacing between letters and words. “The concept is that with the letters connected, the word has a definite beginning and end. Therefore, the words are easier to see,” Mrs. Ropar explained.
Also, manuscript letters that frequently get reversed or confused by Dyslexic students such as “p”, “b,” or “d” are not as easily confused or reversed with cursive.
Research shows that for intervention to be successful for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia, you must begin treatment before they are nine, otherwise, the student will always struggle. By starting cursive at five, CSA is beginning their remediation right away.
Three: Children who learn cursive earlier do better in school later.
By joining letters, cursive writing reinforces the blending of sounds within words. This helps students learn to read better and also helps them with the spelling process because they learn those phonics blends.
Not only do studies indicate that students who learn cursive by first grade score better in spelling and reading later on, scientists have discovered a direct relationship between the quality of handwriting and the quality of the written text. The relationship between handwriting and composition quality can even be seen on MRIs. The brains of those with good handwriting show more activity in areas associated with cognition, language and executive function than the brains of those with poor handwriting. (British Psychological Society, May 1, 2009)
Four: Cursive enhances the ability to express creativity.
Children long to express their individuality and creativity, and cursive enables them to do so. A person’s handwriting should be an important step in developing a personal style and voice. Education is not about producing robots. It should give students the tools to express themselves.
“The children really enjoy the artsy side of cursive,” Mrs. Ropar said. As classical education is about “Truth, Beauty and Goodness”, cursive is just one more way that beauty is brought into the curriculum at Christ the Savior Academy.
Christ the Savior Academy, located near 13th and Rock Road in Wichita, is a classical, Christian School, with classes from Junior Kindergarten (age 4) to 8th grade. The curriculum combines the wisdom of the Church and the best of secular culture to teach students to read well, write well and think well. It is a time-tested model used throughout Ancient Greek, Roman and Medieval times. Oxford, Eton and Cambridge have used the classical method to produce leaders for centuries.
Be sure to check out Christ the Savior in our Guide to Schools in Wichita.
