Thanks for any help!
My son is being told that he needs to make more effort to write in cursive for his notes at school. Since cursive was never really seriously taught much during his schooling in the US, I thought it might be good to just have him learn the 'french' way of doing cursive. Does anyone know of a website that graphs out how the letters are formed? A quick google didn't seem to be of help. Kept coming up with what is taught in the US.
It also came as a big surprise to me to see that there is indeed several different cursive writing models: the US has its own, and then in Switzerland, the French and German methods are also totally different - to the point where it becomes difficult to decipher some letters in either or, when you aren't familiar with the system.
Those websites should help:
Interesting. Never really thought about such differences before.
Looking at the examples on the first link (the second doesn't render properly) it would appear that the French cursive is exactly the same as taught in the UK. If it's taught at all these days, that is. How does the US version differ?
You can order online some cahiers d'écriture on some french websites.
My teachers put me through that ordeal in primary school, I had terrible grades for writing. My handwriting hasn't improved but I moved to script as cursive is too girly for me. Good luck on your kids learning it! I can still remember filling in page after page of those damn letters making sure they fitted in the guidelines and were curvy enough... "Doit prendre plus de soin" was a constant note on my work back then. Damn teachers
The US handwriting is exceedingly round, I spent 11 years there, and really had to learn to write the way they do, particularly on checks (we used check then :-) as they kept getting confused with my numbers (not just with 9s and 7s)
Just found a small and not so representative example:
I would really suggest asking the teacher for one of the writing guides or a book where they teach writing, as it very easily could be different from what you find on -line.
As another poster said, there are indeed differences between the "French" as in France way, and the "French" as in Swiss way, and perhaps even some slight difference among the Cantons. I had a not so productive discussion with my daughters teacher, who was originally from France, but had to teach the Vaud French writing style, and me trying to correct to the anglo writing cursive, all different, and a bit confusing for the child concerned. There are indeed many differnces between the French and swiss French cursive writing methods, and the teacher or school likely has their particular preferences.
My best friend is a nursery school teacher, and she gave me the models she uses to teach cursive writing. It's very important to do each letter the right way (strating at the right point) to make sure that you then write each word in an effective word.
Mistrale, if you wish we can meet and I'll show them to you as we live very close.
My writing's a mess - good enough to be an English Doctor's if you know what I mean.
French primary school - where I was made to use French cursive (note with 5 lines, not the poncy 3 in the links above...)
English boarding school - where I had to write in caligraphy
Work - computer... what's a pen for again?
I spent a year in France as a teenager, at a normal French lycee, and I never noticed any real difference in writing styles (nor do I in the links) from US cursive.
Tom
He is definitely being told he needs to write his notes in cursive (this is by the math teacher no less!!) and his notes must be written in a certain way (ie title in red, statement in blue, question in black, etc.). I'm rather floored by this. He is in 6th grade and was made to redo his notes because they were not done to his standard.
Regarding American cursive (which seems to be quickly becoming a thing of the past) and what I perceive to be French cursive, the 'p's are connected at the bottom of the circle in the US, the 7s are not necessarily crossed, the 9s don't have tails, etc.
He's in 6th grade and they still want him to write in cursive?!? That's weird...
Normally here kids get taught how to write in crusive in primary school, and they have to use it until 4-5 grades, until most of them find 'their' own independant writing styles.
I've been teaching in 5-6th grades and specifically asking for cursive is not the norm.
I don't know the context about the notes you're writing about. But if your son was copying sthg important, it makes sense to follow presentation rules.
I learnt to write in a french primary school, moved to english primary school and the uncultured swines said my writing was too small, took away my pen and gave me a pencil. I was way more literate than the rest of them.
Reassuring to see the link above with the m with the correct 3 humps. I still wondered when writing it if it wasn't something I'd made up.
Some numerals are noticeably different from the UK, including the 1 which often has more of an upstroke than the downstroke, and the crossed 7, but I don't understand about a 9 not having a tail. Wouldn't that make it a 0?
We also had to learn the ultra fancy capital letters, do they still do that? Can't remember a single one of them.
Fascinating read (with examples) on how handwriting differs around the world: http://ma-nouvelle-vie-en-france.blo...francaise.html
I find French handwriting particularly distinctive, and I happen to think it's beautiful to read. It's very noticable on restaurant blackboards, for example.
I don't have to read a single word of this menu to realize instantly that it's in France:
I can believe the a maths teacher doing this. The way numbers are written can vary wildly, and I've know folks in shops to no know that l was one, as they expected it to be written (something) like this: /l (if you see what I mean)
I find the numbers not too difficult, but the x's are drawn totally differently, as are the capital I's.
I'd go for these, they are the ones we had in the 80ies. They just don't make any difference between flat start and curly starts, but that's a detail. There are a couple of alternative writings for Q, Z or T. Also details.
why not to go to Payot? I was there yesterday and saw many books for writing, they even give some discount till the end of september.