cursive

When kids are learning to write cursive letters, they need to also learn about connecting cursive letters together appropriately right from the start. In this blog post on on how to connect cursive letters, we’ll explore the tips for seamlessly joining cursive letters within a word to ensure fluid and proficient cursive handwriting. Teaching correct connectors between letters is essential for cursive accuracy and legibility. Let’s break down cursive connectors…    

Connecting some cursive letters is an obvious flow into the next letter, but others are more difficult. Then, there is the pencil flow, the motor planning, and baseline control…there is a lot to consider for the student learning to write in cursive!

Connecting Cursive Letters

If cursive letters don’t connect properly, one letter can look like different letter. Connecting the letters together requires practice and instruction. The more a child succeeds in proper cursive connectors, the more legible handwriting will be.

If the letters don’t connect correctly and it can be hard to read handwriting. This is especially true as we get older and practice the incorrect forms. Your hand will become accustomed to producing the incorrect forms.

Connecting cursive letters is especially important with some of the letters that have a tow rope connectors between the letters. We call these letters tow rope letters.

Cursive b is one of these letters.

Cursive v and cursive o are other tow rope letters, meaning that the connecting lines between these letters and the letter next to them is at the middle line and changes the motor plan to the letter following the tow rope letter.   

This resource on teaching cursive b has more information on this difference in motor planning in the letter formation. 

How to Connect Cursive Letters

When forming specific letters, it can be easy to merge letters or for a cursive writer to form commonly connected letters in an alternative manner. You may find this is true when you write a letter e and e connected together. One cursive writer may make this letter combination completely different than another person who connects letters in a different way. 

Timed writing samples show that cursive writing is more efficient and quicker than the fastest printed writing. Joining letters with connectors is what makes in writing happen more quickly and efficiently.

Connecting cursive lines in handwriting should occur fluidly and with a gliding motion of the pencil on the paper. If this doesn’t occur, or the writing looks choppy or jumpy with letters being jumbled as a result of connection issues, it can be helpful to take breaks in between writing strokes. 

There are several factors that impact fluid writing in connecting cursive letters in a word. Checking for these items is the first step when you see difficulties with letter connections, or choppy handwriting:

• Fluidity of writing
• Writing speed
• Writing rhythm
• Paper position
• Experience with cursive writing (practice)

Fluidity of writing- The handwriting motor plan that you have in your mind for forming two letters together may remain the same with practice.

Writing Speed and Rhythm- Letter writing speed and rhythm has a lot to do with unique formations and connections of cursive letters.

Paper positioning- Cursive letter formation and connectors can also have a lot to do with the angle of handwriting, or the paper positioning when writing in cursive. Paper slanted and positioned to the left will affect the way cursive g connects to the letter next to it. 

Experience- More practice of letter connectors will help with speed and rhythm in cursive writing. When children just start out with learning cursive, they are working on the overall letter form. The connectors are a “pause” moment for them as they finish one letter and then move onto the next. For new cursive writers, you’ll see a drawn out connection. You might even see the pencil lift up from the paper. This is a sort of mental break. With experience, forming the cursive letters becomes more natural and the connection between the cursive letters becomes more fluid.

The connections between letters will come naturally according to the individual’s personal writing style.

Variations in Connecting Cursive Letters

The thing about cursive writing is that it is very personalized. While the letter form is the same for most, there can be variations in the letters that becomes part of that person’s handwriting style.

Think about an adult hand writing or your own handwriting. The cursive letters are probably fluid and not exact as you might have learned in a cursive handwriting guide book or in second grade cursive writing instruction. This is because you have develop your own style of cursive. This has happened over time and with practice.

Look at your own cursive handwriting. You may notice that some letters are not formed or connect exactly as you were taught in grade school. Adaptations to cursive result in personal cursive writing styles and can be completely legible. 

The motor plan is established. Kids can create their own cursive style  too. When that happens, handwriting will be legible and comfortable. For kids that are learning cursive letter connections, or kids that don’t have the fluid motions quite yet, flow exercises can be a big help.

Cursive Line COnnecting Exercises

Cursive lines can be practiced with specific activities to support the development of this skill. 

Flow exercises are very important and useful in helping kids to develop fluid fluid motions and establishing a comfortable style of handwriting. Exercises designed to improve cursive letter connectors are made up of simple bends and arches,  joined together from the base. 

Cursive letter connector exercises connect common letters together and start at the base. This might be a series of “cursive i“s connected with ease.  Another connector exercise might be a string of cursive letter “l”s connected. You can also mix other letters such as cursive u and cursive n, working on the flow between two different letters. 

Tips for Fluid Cursive Lines between letters

A few tips for teaching cursive letter connections include:

• Mix it up. Try to incorporate different letter directions and sizes of joining strokes when working on the flow of connections.

• Connect just a few letters together at first. Flow exercise typically occur with 2 to 3 letters in groups. This helps to form a motor plan for letter formation.

• Start letters at the correct starting point. Another important point about connecting letters is formation. It’s important to start certain letters at a specific point such as cursive o. It always needs to start at the top and curve around in a counterclockwise motion. In this way the letter can connect easily two other letters.

How to Connect Cursive Letters

There are several strategies to use, and because of the different letter strokes, it’s a good idea to work through these.

Pause and connect- One strategy to work on letter connections is to practice forming the letter and then when the letter is completed, pause and then connect to make the next letter. This then progresses to the next step in teaching cursive connections.

Baseline control- Most of the letters connect at the baseline. They rock or slide into the next letter. The pencil moves along the baseline as it ramps up to connect to the next cursive letter.

Work on this baseline control by using muscle groups to control the pencil. This can be achieved by hand strengthening and fine motor skill work, but also practice with pencil control exercises. Specifically, pencil control worksheets like tracing along the lines of graph paper can support this skill.

• Right handed writers will push the pencil along the baselines and then use pulling motions of the hand to pull slanted pencil strokes back into the palm of the hand. Work on this motion with pencil control and with fine motor work to pull items into the hand.
• Left handed writers will pull rocker letters and rainbow motions of the pencil to the right by pulling the pencil into the palm. They will connect letters along the baseline with a pushing motion of the pencil moving away from the palm. Work on this motion with pencil control and with fine motor work to push items away from the hand. Here is more information on left-handed cursive.

Backward chain letter formation- Another way to teaching students how to connect cursive letters is through the technique of backward chaining.

Backward chaining is a common strategy for tasks such as teaching kids to tie their own shoes or to fasten zippers. It can be used for learning cursive handwriting connectors, too! 

With backward chaining in cursive writing, it’s important that this strategy is only used with letters that are very well established. Try this trick only when a child is very fluent with cursive letter b, for example. Then: students can start out with a cursive b.

Add in multisensory strategies- In addition to the backward chaining technique, you can add multisensory strategies to add more learning styles.

We shared a color mixing rainbow writing activity before that explains this activity. They can write in a black magic marker or trace over a worksheet. Students can use a highlighter marker to trace over just the connector of the b. They can do this several times across a sheet of paper, tracing over only the connector line of the b as it travels to the next letter. Students can even trace that connector over to connect to other letters such as cursive e, cursive a, cursive i, etc. 

Then, ask students to complete the whole letter b, connecting it to the same letters that were practiced above. 

Air writing- Still another tactic to teach cursive connections is through gross motor air writing. Practice backward chaining with cursive letters by forming big motions of the cursive letters. For example, don’t as students to start at mid loop of the b.

Direction change in cursive letter connections

One aspect of connecting letters is the direction change that happens when some letters connect with others. The pencil changes direction and uses a different muscle set mid-letter or mid-connection.

Joining two letters that change directions can be confusing for kids who are just learning to write in cursive and connect letters correctly. Some letters require a change pencil direction when connecting. 

Some examples of this include:

• cursive b connected to other cursive letters
• cursive w connected to other cursive letters
• cursive v connected to other cursive letters.
• cursive o connected to to other cursive letters

When two letters connect that require the pencil to go in one direction, and then stop and reverse to go in the opposite direction to connect the letter, it can be quite difficult for a child who is just learning to write in the continual pencil motions that cursive writing requires. 

These letters require precision and pencil control for legibility. Cursive writers need to have a relaxed style otherwise the retrace required in these letters can make the retrace wide. 

Re-Trace in Connective cursive letters

Re-trace is when the pencil traces back over the line it already made. Cursive letters with re-trace include:

• a, c, d, g, h, i, j, m, n, o, p, q, s, t, u, w

Some of these letters have a re-trace because of the swing up to create the letter. This is the initial connection to start the letter. This includes the letters:

• a, c, d, g, o, q

Other of these re-trace letters have a re-trace formed by the bumps of the letter. This might be the starting connector or it might be inside the letter. This includes:

• h, m, n, u, w

Other of these letters have re-trace formed within in the letter:

• i, t, j, s, p

It’s important for kids to learn to correctly re-trace and connect letters when they are just learning. As they grow and develop their own personal writing style lifting the pencil for these letters is fine.

Cursive letter s has re-trace as well as directional changes that use different pencil control and motor plans.

Connections between letters can vary from person to person as an individual ages and develops. As long as legibility and functional speed are appropriate, this is fine!


Looking for more ways to work on cursive letter connectors? Try any of these creative cursive writing strategies or these handwriting activities.

 

 

 

Some top handwriting programs for addressing skills like letter formation and cursive connectors: 

Need help with the underlying skills needed for handwriting? Start here on our Handwriting resources page.

 

 

 

The Handwriting Book  is a huge resource when it comes to addressing handwriting concerns. It’s a book written by 10 occupational therapists and physical therapists and refers to every underlying skill related to written work. This is a tool for therapists, teachers, and parents.

 

The Handwriting Book covers everything you need to know about handwriting, guided by development and focused on function. This digital resource is is the ultimate resource for tips, strategies, suggestions, and information to support handwriting development in kids.

The Handwriting Book breaks down the functional skill of handwriting into developmental areas. These include developmental progression of pre-writing strokes, fine motor skills, gross motor development, sensory considerations, and visual perceptual skills. Each section includes strategies and tips to improve these underlying areas.

• Strategies to address letter and number formation and reversals
• Ideas for combining handwriting and play
• Activities to practice handwriting skills at home
• Tips and strategies for the reluctant writer
• Tips to improve pencil grip
• Tips for sizing, spacing, and alignment with overall improved legibility

Click here to grab your copy of The Handwriting Book today.

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

Supporting kids by teaching cursive handwriting can be a challenge when there are problems in cursive writing. One tool to support an educator or occupational therapy practitioner is a cursive writing screening tool. Below, you’ll find a cursive handwriting checklist to support and overcome problems in cursive wriitng. Also be sure to check out tips and specific strategies to teach cursive.

Get your copy of the cursive screening tool at the bottom of this blog post.

Problems in Cursive?

Cursive handwriting can be a challenge to learn. When kids do learn the letters, many times cursive writing takes on a personal style of letter formation. To assess cursive handwriting in the child who is already writing, it takes assessment of the individual parts of cursive writing such as letter formation, speed, rhythm, and legibility. 

To diagnose cursive handwriting struggles, it’s important to look at the overall piece of written work. The cursive writing assessment checklist below will help to assess cursive handwriting and work on cursive writing progression.

• Is the writing sample legible?
• Can the individual read it after a period of hours or days?
• Are specific letters identifiable?
• Are letters formed properly, and are they connected correctly?
• Do the letters flow and can join together accurately?
• Are the strokes leaning in a consistent direction?
• Are there added pencil strokes or portions of letters missing?
• Is there consistent use of line and size awareness? 

There is a lot to consider when it comes to supporting cursive writing needs!

Looking at all of the parts that make up cursive handwriting can be beneficial to pinpoint areas that need more work in order to promote functional cursive handwriting. 

These are all things to look at when assessing cursive handwriting.

Once the specific needs of the student are identified, these strategies can be taught and practiced. Then, a cursive self-assessment of cursive writing can be used by the student for handwriting carryover.

How to Diagnose Cursive Writing Problems

Look at the items below to diagnose cursive handwriting issues and figure out how to work on these areas to improve overall legibility.

Related Read: Try these handwriting accommodation strategies to address a variety of handwriting challenges. 

Cursive Handwriting Checklist

Take a look at these considerations when it comes to problems with cursive writing:

• Are letters constructed properly? 
• Do letters have all parts needed for accurate formation? 
• Are letters missing parts needed for accurate formation?
• Do tow rope letters have a correct connector line? (Tow rope letters include b, o, v, w) 
• Are the words easy to read? 
• Do the letters flow together with cursive letter connectors accurately and consistently throughout the writing sample? 
• Do baseline connectors occur at the baseline? 
• Are letters slanting in a consistent direction?
• Is the cursive writing sample overall too large where words are extending up to the top line and stretched out with the wide base of letter? 
• Or are letters formed so small so that they can’t be read? 
• Is the spacing between words and letters satisfactory?
• Are the letters connected in a way that pencil strokes are smooth? 
• Is the student using consistent pressure pressure throughout the writing sample? 
• Are letters closed properly wear? 
• Are letters formed with the proper finishing marks such as the dot on an i and a cross on a t? 
• Are loops formed properly so they look like cursive letter is an l and e or are they stick so that they can look like a cursive t or i? 
• Is the writing sample written on the lines and within a given space?
• Are the tails of tail letters (f, g, j, q, y, z) dropping below the baseline?
• Are upper case cursive letters larger in size than lowercase letters?
• Do tall letters (b, d, f, h, k, l, t) touch the top line consistently?
• Are the tall letters larger than the small letters?
• Do letters with re-trace trace back over lines correctly and consistently?
• Is writing speed consistent and accurate?
• is the writing correct but layout and spacing poor?
• Another area to consider when assessing cursive writing is to look at desk and paper positioning.

cursive writing lines

The lines that make up cursive letters support legibility but there is more to it as well. We cover these areas in the cursive writing problems screener.

Children may encounter various challenges when it comes to writing cursive letters on lines:

1. Letter Size and Spacing: Maintaining consistent letter size and appropriate spacing between words and letters can be difficult. Some children may write letters that are too large, too small, or unevenly spaced.
2. Letter Formation: Cursive letter formation involves specific strokes and connections between letters. Kids may struggle with remembering the correct sequence of strokes or the direction of loops and curves.
3. Letter Slant: Cursive writing typically has a specific slant or angle to the letters. Children may find it challenging to maintain a consistent slant throughout their writing.
4. Staying on the Lines: Writing within the lines requires fine motor control and coordination. Children might have difficulty staying within the designated lines, resulting in letters that float above or dip below the lines.
5. Legibility: Poorly formed cursive letters or inconsistent sizing and spacing can lead to illegible handwriting, making it challenging for others to read.
6. Fatigue: Cursive writing can be more physically

Included in the form are areas for notes on handwriting, along with the above questions divided into sections: 

• Cursive Letter Formation
• Cursive Letter Connections
• Cursive Letter Size
• Overall Cursive Letter Legibility

This Cursive Handwriting Assessment Checklist is a great way to assess and monitor cursive handwriting progression.

Use this Cursive Handwriting Assessment Checklist to diagnose and identify specific problems in cursive handwriting samples. 


Once specific issues are determined, it can be easy to work on those specific skills. 

Each child will be different in the way that their writing appears on paper. Even children who are instructed in a group will end up with writing that looks completely different, especially once a personal style is incorporated into cursive writing. 

 

Pencil Grasp with an Egg Carton

 

Cursive Handwriting Journal

 

Fizzy Dough Cursive Letters

Cursive Problems Screening Tool

If you’re seeing problems with cursive handwriting skills and would like to assess where the breakdown is happening, you’ll want to grab our cursive screening tool. Use it to assess cursive handwriting using a checklist of cursive writing skills.

To get this printable, enter your email address into the form below. The printable will arrive via email so you can print it from any device and from any location.

This cursive screener is also found inside our membership club. Members can log in and then head to our cursive resources.

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.