Cursive Letter Identification Activity

This fun handwriting activity is a fun way to practice cursive letter identification. Practicing cursive handwriting is one of the best strategies to helping kids carryover the skills that they’ve learned in cursive writing instruction. It makes sense, right? You practice more, you get better at it! But there is actually more to it.
The more practice that a child gets when using creative and unique activities, the more they are challenged in a variety of multisensory experiences. These various sensory and tactile experience broaden the fabric of a child’s learning experience. 

Cursive letter identification

This cursive letter activity is one that does just that; It is a creative tool to encourage cursive writing experiences that the child can draw on down the road. It allows eye-hand coordination and the perceptual skills of scanning, figure ground, form constancy and others as well as fine motor motions and dexterity. 
 
Use this cursive letter activity to help with cursive letter identification and carryover of cursive handwriting skills.
 
You can read more about cursive letter families below as well as more cursive writing strategies and tools here and in the How to Teach Cursive Writing series that we have on The OT Toolbox this month.
 
You can find all of the tips and strategies for teaching cursive handwriting under the cursive writing tab up above.


 
Cursive Handwriting Activity
 
Use this handwriting activity to develop the ability to write, recall, and form cursive letters.
 
There has been much research demonstrating the use of our hands in manipulation of tools and materials as playing a valuable role in development of cognition and learning. 
 
This fine motor activity is one that meets those criteria while working on cursive handwriting.
 
You’ll need just a few materials to create this cursive writing manipulative activity:
 
Pipe cleaner
Tape
Straw
Permanent marker
Scissors
 
Use this cursive letter activity to help with cursive letter identification and carryover of cursive handwriting skills.
To start this activity, cut the tape into small sections. Fold them over the straw as shown in the picture. Between each tape piece, cut the straw. You should now have “beads” of sorts. 
 
Use the permanent marker to write cursive letters on one side of the tape. Flip the “bead” over and write the printed version of that letter on the other side. Ensure the letter is not written upside down.
 
Next, slide the cursive letter pieces onto the pipe cleaner.
 
Fold one end of the pipe cleaner into a ball to prevent the letters from sliding off. 
 
Add the remaining cursive letters to the pipe cleaner.
 
Fold the other end of the pipe cleaner to stop the letters from sliding off.
 
Letters can be added to the pipe cleaner by cursive letter family or randomly.
Use this cursive letter activity to help with cursive letter identification and carryover of cursive handwriting skills.
 

How to use this cursive writing tool:

 
Ask students to turn over the letters. They can copy the cursive letter or form the cursive letter from memory as they view the printed letter.
 
Use the letters as a model for writing the cursive letters in a sensory writing tray.
 
Scatter the letters on a table and ask students to sort letters or order them in alphabetical order. Students can then thread the letter “beads” onto the pipe cleaner.
 
Use this cursive letter activity to help with cursive letter identification and carryover of cursive handwriting skills.
 
Use these letters in a variety of ways like described in this DIY cursive letter bead activity
 
Use this cursive letter activity to help with cursive letter identification and carryover of cursive handwriting skills.
 
Use this cursive letter activity to help with cursive letter identification and carryover of cursive handwriting skills.