How to write a cursive c

Forming the cursive c

c is the letter to teach first in this whole alphabet: its lead-in and first curve are exactly what a, d, g, o and q begin with, so five more letters come almost free once c is fluent. It uses a downcurve lead-in and an ordinary baseline exit, which makes it an easy letter to join in both directions.

Start: On the baseline, at the left of the curve

1. Undercurve lead-in up to the midline, stopping at about the one o'clock position
2. Downcurve: trace back over the top and round the outside of the circle counter-clockwise to the baseline, leaving the right-hand side open
3. Undercurve exit at the baseline, swinging away toward the next letter

How it joins

The cursive c finishes on the baseline with an undercurve, which is exactly where the next letter begins. That is why cursive can be written without lifting the pencil: the exit of one letter is the entry of the next. Practise c inside a word rather than on its own as soon as the shape is reliable, because the join is the part that actually needs practice.

Common mistakes

• The curve is carried too far round and closes, so c reads as o or e.
• The child begins at the top of the curve as they would in print, which removes the lead-in and leaves nothing for the previous letter to join into.
• The curve is too shallow and upright, so c reads as r or i.
• The opening faces the wrong way because the pencil travelled clockwise, always check the direction of travel, not just the finished shape.

Letters that move the same way

Counter-clockwise oval letters: A downcurve lead-in: rise from the baseline to about the one o'clock position on the letter body, then roll back over the top and travel counter-clockwise round the outside of an oval down to the baseline. What happens after the oval, a short stem, a tall stem, a tail, or a level exit, is all that separates these six.

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Print first, then cursive

Cursive is usually introduced once print handwriting is automatic, typically around third grade. If a child is still thinking about how to form printed letters, adding a second script makes both harder. Theprinted c page covers that form, andwhen cursive is usually taughtexplains why the timing varies so much.