EMPOWERING YOUNG WRITERS: BEST TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING CURSIVE WRITING

TO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

ASPIRAS, DIANE ROSELY E.

BARNACHEA, LYRENE JOY M.
ESTEPA, ROCHELLE LORAINE F.
LOPEZ, ADRIAN KURT RUSSEL C.
MEDIDAS, TRISHA JOY C.

DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY

MID-LA UNION CAMPUS

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Major in General Education

May 2024
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Situational Analysis

Early writing, a valuable early literacy skill begins to develop prior to kindergarten. Young children

participating in preschool benefit from writing opportunities facilitated by teachers. Writing opportunities,

however, are often limited in preschool settings. It is important to understand teachers’ beliefs and practices for

promoting early writing because teachers’ beliefs inform their practices of this valuable skill. (Gerde et al.,

2019)

As digital devices are increasingly replacing traditional writing by hand, it is crucial to examine the

long-term implications of this practice. Although it is vital to maintain handwriting practice in school, it is also

important to keep up in the continuously developing digital world. Young children should learn to write by hand

successfully, and, at the same time learn to manage to write on a method and transcribe information, depending

on the context. This way, both cognitive development and learning efficiency can be strengthened, and pupils

and students of all ages and their teachers can keep up with the technological development and digital

challenges to come. (Askvik et al., 2020)

If the ability to write in the lower class is not well, it is very possible when in the upper class the

student's writing is not good either (Rikmasari, 2022).

The learning of cursive writing skills begins when students enter the lower grades, taught at the beginner

writing stage until they can make their own sentences using cursive letters. Failure to hone handwriting

skills can negatively impact academic success and student self-esteem. Ill read writing can also mean failure

to communicate. Writing is said to be legible if it complies with the standardized writing rules (Intansari,

2021)
 Handwriting is a complex skill to acquire, and it requires years of training to be mastered. Appropriately

legible and automated handwriting is necessary for the acquisition of other higher-order skills such as spelling

and story composition. Handwriting is a complex perceptual-motor task, as it involves attention, perceptual,

linguistic, and fine motor skills. (Gargot T. et al.2020)

Individual writers are thus part of writing communities, including home and school, and teachers and

family members may act as writing mentors who shape and support individual writers’ capacity to communicate

ideas into written language. Moreover, teachers’ variables, including teachers’ preparation, knowledge to teach

writing, and self-efficacy beliefs to teach writing, are likely affected by each country’s social, political, cultural,

and historical factors (Graham et al., 2021; Graham et al., 2021).

To promote better writing skills the choice of writing style seems to be fundamental. Cursive style,

besides being predictive of better writing skills, seems easier to learn for young children in primary school.

Consistency of movement in time and space has been claimed to be an important feature of “good” handwriting,

and this is a distinctive characteristic of cursive writing. It has been reported that younger-aged children have

higher irregularity and inconsistency of movement and time when performing discontinuous loops than with

continuous ones; moreover, it seems that young children have more difficulty performing discontinuous

handwriting patterns compared with continuous patterns (Semeraro, et al., 2019)

Primary teachers in the US did not make strong connections for writing between home and school.

Considering the inconsistent educational structures and practices developed for remote learning during the first

wave of COVID-19 and the role that families were asked to play to support learning (Fitzgerald et al., 2020), it

becomes important to understand how frequently teachers typically develop school/home relationship designed

to foster students’ writing development (Merga et al., 2021).

While formal handwriting instruction usually begins in first grade, in some countries, as is the case in

France, the recognition of letters and the motor gestures needed to produce isolated cursive letters are learned in
kindergarten. Therefore it is important to study the way children produce their first handwriting gestures and to

propose early efficient instruction. (Florence et al., 2021)

In Illinois, cursive writing is mandatory, but this only became the case in 2018 when it was passed into

law. This law is the case in 20 other states in the U.S., but many other states give the option to schools on

whether they will teach it. While cursive may seem less important to some due to the increasing prominence of

technology, it still has importance in our lives. From writing signatures to learning to better understand old

historical documents or letters you get from your relatives, cursive has many uses. (Wells,2021)

Handwriting, specifically cursive writing, is essential for communication and memory retention. It

involves creating attractive letters, numbers, and symbols using a pen or pencil. In schools, students typically

learn both manuscript and cursive writing, with manuscripts resembling printed letters and cursive having

connected and slanted letters.

In the Philippines, mastering cursive writing is seen as an achievement in elementary school. Pupils

usually begin learning it in the second or third grade, transitioning from manuscript when they have a good

grasp of it. Cursive writing instruction used to involve practicing individual letters, with teachers demonstrating

the proper stroke order and formation. Students practiced until they could reproduce each letter accurately.

(Mariwa,2021)

To address writing difficulties, several curriculum-based handwriting programs have been developed,

which are taught within the classroom setting; however, these tools are often facilitated by occupational therapy

practitioners and handwriting experts and each assessment tool has its own strengths and weaknesses (de la

Peña, former DOST Secretary, 2022)

Cursive writing is an essential skill for elementary students, as it promotes fine motor skills and legible

handwriting. However, the teaching of cursive writing techniques can vary greatly, and educators are constantly

seeking effective methods to empower young writers. With this, the researchers will conduct this study

Empowering Young Writers: Best Techniques for Teaching Cursive Writing to Elementary Students.
 This study intends to explore and understand the specific techniques used by teachers at Sagayad

Elementary School in teaching cursive writing to provide evidence-based recommendations for effective

instruction and empower young writers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the

techniques utilized by teachers at Sagayad Elementary School in teaching cursive writing, in order to contribute

to the development of best practices and enhance the teaching of cursive writing at the school.

Framework of the Study

This study is based and anchored on the following theories and framework of learning.

According to Revisiting Handwriting Fundamentals Through an Interdisciplinary Framework the

combining knowledge on handwriting from both fields would help facilitate more well-informed practical

diagnosis and intervention to address children’s handwriting problems. In the occupational therapy literature,

the emphasis is on acquisition and readiness of handwriting skills, whereas the influence from language

characteristics on the handwriting task is almost non-existent. However, educators focus on functional writing

and do not emphasize motor development in handwriting. Integration of research knowledge from these

disciplines inevitably would generate a better understanding to help occupational therapists and educators

address children’s handwriting difficulties. (Ann et sl.,2022)

Furthermore, according to Teaching cursive writing in the first year of primary school: Effect on

reading and writing skills it is necessary to think about the role of grapho-motor abilities in the development of

handwriting skills, as well as giving more weight to grapho-motor skills in teaching plans. It is important to

support the teaching community to ensure that decisions regarding handwriting automatization are taken at the

beginning of the educational process. (Semeraro, C. 2019)

In addition, The Project Based Learning model can improve the learning process and cursive writing

skills where in the study demonstrates that students' cursive writing skills have improved significantly. They can

arrange letters using cursive letters, write auxiliary lines correctly, distinguish between cursive and capital
letters, determine fundamental questions, arrange project plans and schedules, create projects, and test results.

The improvement is evident in the results of the cursive writing skills test, which assesses nine aspects of

cursive writing skills: letter components, letter shape and size, spacing, slope, alignment, line quality, use of

capital letters, use of punctuation marks, and neatness of writing. (Mawati, M. 2023)

Cursive writing is an activity that requires patience and accuracy. This is beneficial to the brain

development of students, especially early grade students. Writing upright has several benefits for student

development. (Bahtiar, RS. 2019)

Lastly, in investigating how children produce rotation and pointing movements when they learn to write

letters, this constitutes a set of rules that specifies procedural knowledge on how to write the letters. The rules

define where to start writing each letter and the direction of the following strokes that are needed to write a

given character (e.g., “start at a leftmost and topmost point”, “draw vertical lines from top to bottom”, “draw

horizontal lines from left to right”). The data revealed that these movements required compensatory strategies in

specific kinematic variables. For pointing movements there was a duration decrease that was compensated by an

increase in in-air movement time. Rotation movements were produced with low maximal velocity but high

minimal velocity. (Thibon, L. 2019)

The research paradigm of the study shown below (Fig.1) is primarily based on the research-based input

process output model. Input includes the methods used by Sagayad Elementary School teachers in teaching

cursive writing along with the different indicators including stroke sequence, letter formation, spacing and

sizing, connecting letters, and transition from print. The process stands from the analysis and interpretation of

the methods used by Sagayad Elementary School teachers in teaching cursive writing. The output is the cursive

writing intervention techniques for Sagayad Elementary School Grade 2 pupils.

Data gathering on Analysis and

the following: interpretation on:

1. Methods used by 1. Methods used

Sagayad by Sagayad
Elementary Elementary
School teachers School teachers
in teaching in teaching
 FEEDBACK

Statement of the Problem

 This study aimed to determine the best techniques for teaching cursive writing to Sagayad Elementary

School Grade 2 pupils. Specially, it answers the following questions:

1. What are the methods used by Sagayad Elementary School teachers in teaching cursive writing along

with these different factors:

a. Letter Basics

b. Letter Formation

c. Spacing and Sizing

d. Connecting Letters

e. Stroke Sequence

2. What is the impact of these techniques on pupils' cursive writing proficiency?

3. How do teachers implement these techniques effectively in the classroom setting to facilitate student

learning and skill development?

4. What appropriate name can be crafted for the compiled set of techniques gathered from the teachers?

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally based on the study.

Cursive handwriting- is a style of joined-up handwriting in which the letters are connected and looped to help

you write faster.

Connecting letters- how to connect cursive letters smoothly without lifting their writing instrument.

Impact- Impact in this context refers to the effect or influence that the instructional techniques have on the

students' proficiency in cursive writing.

Implementation- Implementation relates to the process of putting the identified techniques into practice within

the classroom setting, focusing on how teachers effectively incorporate these methods into their teaching.

Letter Basics- teaching students the alphabet in cursive, focusing on lowercase letters initially.
Letter Formation - how to form individual cursive letters correctly.

Pupils- a child or young person in school or in the charge of a tutor or instructions.

Spacing and sizing- the importance of consistent spacing between letters and words.

Stroke sequence- the correct stroke sequence for each cursive letter.

Techniques- refers to specific methods, strategies, or approaches used in teaching cursive writing.

Chapter 2

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This qualitative research will employ a descriptive research design to explore and analyze the techniques

used by teachers at Sagayad Elementary School in teaching cursive writing. Descriptive research allows for a

comprehensive understanding of the specific techniques employed by teachers and their effectiveness in

empowering young writers.

Sources of Data
 The primary source of data for this study will be the teachers at Sagayad Elementary School. Teachers

will provide insights into their instructional techniques, experiences, perceptions, and challenges in teaching

cursive writing. Additional data sources may include relevant documents, such as curriculum materials or

instructional guidelines related to cursive writing.

The study will be conducted in Sagayad Elementary School at Sagayad, San Fernando La Union S.Y

2022-2023. The criteria for choosing the respondents are (10) ten elementary teachers of Sagayad Elementary

School

Instrumentation and Data Collection

Data will be collected through interviews and document analysis.

1. Interviews: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with teachers to gather information about

their techniques and strategies for teaching cursive writing. The interviews will explore their

experiences, perceptions, and challenges in teaching cursive, as well as their opinions on the

effectiveness of different techniques. The interviews will be audio-recorded with the consent of the

participants.

2. Document Analysis: Relevant documents, such as curriculum materials or instructional guidelines

related to cursive writing, will be analyzed to gain insights into the recommended techniques and

approaches for teaching cursive writing at Sagayad Elementary School.

Data Analysis

The collected data from interviews and document analysis will be analyzed using thematic analysis. The

interviews will be transcribed and coded to identify recurring themes and patterns related to the techniques used

by teachers in teaching cursive writing. The document analysis will provide additional information on

recommended techniques and approaches. These themes and information will be organized and analyzed to

provide a comprehensive understanding of the different techniques employed by teachers and their

effectiveness.

Ethical Consideration
 In the duration of the study, the researcher would adhere to the ethical principles of the Code of Ethics to

protect and safeguard the participants. The ethical principles observed in the study were informed consent, self-

determination, anonymity, and confidentiality.

Informed consent is known as a prerequisite for conducting any research. First, the researcher

coordinated with the head of the school covered by this study. A letter was sent to the office of the Principal to

seek their approval and participation in the course of the study.

The researcher would assure the participant that all data obtained will be kept confidential. His/her name

would not be revealed in the study to protect their identity. Instead, his name will be placed with a pseudonym.

All data collected will be used for the purpose of the study only. In addition, the researcher would treat the

participants fairly and equally. His values and beliefs will be deeply appreciated and respected.
1. Preschool teachers’ beliefs about and instruction for writing
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10901027.2019.1593899?scroll=top&needAccess=true

2. The Importance of Cursive Handwriting Over Typewriting for Learning in the Classroom: A High-Density EEG Study of 12-
Year-Old Children and Young Adults

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01810/full

3. Improving Cursive Writing Skills Through a Project Based Learning Model for Grade 2 Elementary School Students in
Yogyakarta, Indonesia https://seminar.ustjogja.ac.id/index.php/ICoTPE/article/view/1047/588?fbclid=IwAR1zqeX-

G5NZkXCPSHOFhsVmXN5-TGdrYchdvTNz6R2XdvAsYZe4NsexKbU

4. Acquisition of handwriting in children with and without dysgraphia: A computational approach

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344231618_

5. Teaching writing in primary education (grades 1–6) in Australia: a national survey

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11145-022-10294-2?fbclid=IwAR0dEhnAz3xxsWr6MFWKfmlw-

pkJWByf1SMPqaoaHwpl-o-oM1AA6uLEWQY

6. Teaching of cursive writing in the first year of primary school: Effect on reading and writing skills

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0209978

7. Handwriting isolated cursive letters in young children: Effect of the visual trace deletion

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475220307349

8. OPINION: Cursive should always be taught in the classroom

https://www.alestlelive.com/opinion/article_185b4486-09f7-11ec-b437-2fcb7bf166da.html

9. Cursive Writing: A Dying Form of Skill in Philippine Schools.

https://medium.com/@vg.mariwa/cursive-writing-a-dying-form-of-skill-in-philippine-schools-79be64b43b02

10. DOST funds tool to address handwriting problems

https://mb.com.ph/2022/03/12/dost-funds-tool-to-address-handwriting-problems/