What Is Pre-Cursive Handwriting?
Pre-cursive letters are simple, upright letters written with the starting points and stroke directions that cursive uses, but not joined together. On our sheets, every stroke starts at a numbered dot and follows an arrow, so a child learns where to begin and which way to go.
The idea is that learning the cursive-style start and direction for each letter may help children become familiar with movements used in some joined-writing styles. It is a head start on movement, not a promise about handwriting style.
| Feature | Print (ball and stick) | Pre-cursive (our sheets) | Cursive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shape | Separate circles and sticks | Upright, simple, no slant | Slanted or upright, flowing |
| Strokes | Often several lifts per letter | Start dot and direction fixed for each stroke | Few pen lifts; flowing lines that can span several letters |
| Letters joined | No | No | Yes |
| Start points | Vary by programme | Cursive-style, from the top or the letter's starting side | Cursive-style |
You will see two small features on the sheets. Letters such as m, n, h, b, d, p, r and u go down a stem and back up the same line, so the page draws the up-stroke just beside the down-stroke. Several letters also finish with a short exit tail, which is the first step toward joining.
"Pre-cursive" is not a single standard. Programmes use the word differently, so if your school teaches a particular style, follow that and use our sheets for the movement practice.
Try it: Capital Letter Tracing and Small Letter Tracing.