POMPERAUG REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT 15

Serving the Communities of Middlebury and Southbury, Connecticut

Guidelines for Handwriting Instruction

GRADES K – 8

As our curriculum continues to expand and as our students increasingly use the
computer for many of their assignments, the amount of instructional time spent on
handwriting is a topic that has come under discussion. There are two objectives for
handwriting instruction:

 Students will fluently read both manuscript (print) and cursive writing.
 Students will write quickly using legible and neat letterforms.

By targeting specific and narrow objectives, handwriting instruction is a worthy cause.

It is interesting to note that according to research, most adults who write quickly and
legibly eliminate some or many loops/joins in their handwriting. Studies of adult
handwriting find that most people “mix” elements of both manuscript and cursive
systems in their writing.

With these thoughts in mind, the Language Arts Curriculum team developed district
handwriting instructional guidelines:

1. Legibility is the most essential performance standard of handwriting instruction.

2. Formal instruction in cursive writing takes place in grade 3. Cursive writing should be
practiced in grade 4 through informal review and in an authentic context. Grade 3
teachers and beyond are encouraged to continue to model cursive writing during whole
group instruction.

3. Traditional manuscript is taught in primary grades (K – 2). Since letter recognition is

a critical first step of early reading and writing success, consistency between the types
of symbols used can be important. Constant letterform models in reading, writing and
spelling offer mutual reinforcement to early literacy learners.

Assistant Superintendent’s Office - 2003