English Language Arts and Reading.4.2.C

The student is expected to write legibly in cursive to complete assignments.
beginning reading writing teks talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--beginning reading and writing. The student develops word structure knowledge through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology to communicate, decode, and spell.

A teacher may wish to pair SE 4.7.B with SE 4.2.C and assess both SEs at the same time. Introduce two different texts to students. A variety of text genres can be used. Instruct students to read the texts independently and then collaborate to identify differences and similarities. Following their conversation, each student should submit the student’s own response explaining how the ideas in the texts are similar and different. After identifying similarities and differences, students should share their findings with a partner. Then each student should write a response (using cursive) explaining how the ideas in the texts are similar and different.
 

Further Explanation

This assessment provides an opportunity for the teacher to observe student development of fine motor skills and knowledge of how to connect letters necessary to write legibly in cursive.

Students should be able to consistently apply their understanding of cursive handwriting components, such as how the letters are joined by connectors, how letters and words are spaced, and how letter size effects the visual interpretation of a letter (e.g., the letters i, e, and l can look very similar if formed to the same height.) Once students are proficient in cursive, which can be produced much faster than print, they must be mindful of these components so they do not produce handwriting that cannot be deciphered by a reader.
writing or print that can be read or deciphered easily

Research

1. Memis, A. D. (2018). Examination of legibility and writing speeds of primary school students with respect to writing disposition and writing style.  Universal Journal of Educational Research, 6(5), 1050–1059. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?q=cursive+&pr=on&ft=on&id=EJ1177822

Summary: Researchers consider a sample of 4th and 5th grade students to determine differences in legibility and speed of writing, depending upon whether students were using cursive or print (manuscript) writing. The primary focus of the research was the difference between cursive versus print (manuscript) writing in terms of speed and legibility. These researchers also considered gender preferences in their results.

2. Montgomery, D. (2012). The Contribution of Handwriting and Spelling Remediation to Overcoming Dyslexia, In T. Wydell (Ed.), Dyslexia - A Comprehensive and International Approach, (pp. 109–146). Retrieved from: https://www.intechopen.com/books/dyslexia-a-comprehensive-and-international-approach/the-contribution-of-handwriting-and-spelling-remediation-to-overcoming-dyslexia.

Summary: This research is focused on dyslexia and examines students' cursive handwriting for the light that can shed on needed interventions. The researchers conclude that increased fluency in handwriting enhanced students' reading skills even when that wasn't the focus. A checklist of key indicators for diagnosing handwriting coordination difficulties is included.