Grade 2 | CURSIVE
WEEK 2 • TEACHER GUIDE • DAYS 1–5
Use this guide with the Week 2 Copybook. Each lesson takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Model each letter or stroke first, say the cue while the child writes, and keep the practice short and careful. Day 5 is an independent check.
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This week
Week: Cursive Week 2 of 10 (C2): The Four Cursive Strokes. Suggested alongside Academic Week 18.
Standards (Alabama Course of Study, English Language Arts 2021):
- 2.LF.37.b: Demonstrate cursive writing strokes, including undercurve, overcurve, downcurve and slant.
Materials: A sharpened pencil, the printed Week 2 sheets (print at 100%, actual size, on letter paper), and a table and chair that let the child sit with feet flat.
Models: Cursive letter models are drawn from Playwrite US Trad, a school handwriting font by TypeTogether released under the SIL Open Font License. Start dots and arrows were placed by hand on each letter and checked against the letter’s path. Print models in Week 1 are simple ball-and-stick letters drawn for this copybook.
Day 1: The Undercurve
Goal: The child writes undercurve from the start dot in the direction of the arrows.
Cue for the undercurve: “Start on the baseline, swing and curve up to the midline.”
Watch for: Starting too high, or making a straight line instead of a curve.
Left-handed note: Left-handed writer: slant the paper the other way (top turned to the right), hold the pencil a little higher, and keep the wrist below the writing line so the hand does not cover or smudge the letters. Pull strokes toward the elbow.
Routine checklist. Check each step as the child finishes it.
- ☐ Warm up: the child writes the stroke large in the air with a straight arm while saying the cue.
- ☐ The child traces the model with a finger, starting on the green dot and following the arrows.
- ☐ The child traces the gray strokes on the sheet, then writes on the empty rows.
- ☐ The child says the name of each stroke while writing it.
- ☐ The child circles his or her best stroke, and the adult names one thing to fix next time.
Day 2: The Overcurve
Goal: The child writes overcurve from the start dot in the direction of the arrows.
Cue for the overcurve: “Start on the baseline, up and over the hill.”
Watch for: Making a point at the top instead of a round hill.
Left-handed note: Left-handed writer: slant the paper the other way (top turned to the right), hold the pencil a little higher, and keep the wrist below the writing line so the hand does not cover or smudge the letters. Pull strokes toward the elbow.
Routine checklist. Check each step as the child finishes it.
- ☐ Warm up: the child writes the stroke large in the air with a straight arm while saying the cue.
- ☐ The child traces the model with a finger, starting on the green dot and following the arrows.
- ☐ The child traces the gray strokes on the sheet, then writes on the empty rows.
- ☐ The child says the name of each stroke while writing it.
- ☐ The child circles his or her best stroke, and the adult names one thing to fix next time.
Day 3: The Downcurve
Goal: The child writes downcurve from the start dot in the direction of the arrows.
Cue for the downcurve: “Start on the midline, curve back and down.”
Watch for: Starting the curve to the right instead of back to the left.
Left-handed note: Left-handed writer: slant the paper the other way (top turned to the right), hold the pencil a little higher, and keep the wrist below the writing line so the hand does not cover or smudge the letters. Pull strokes toward the elbow.
Routine checklist. Check each step as the child finishes it.
- ☐ Warm up: the child writes the stroke large in the air with a straight arm while saying the cue.
- ☐ The child traces the model with a finger, starting on the green dot and following the arrows.
- ☐ The child traces the gray strokes on the sheet, then writes on the empty rows.
- ☐ The child says the name of each stroke while writing it.
- ☐ The child circles his or her best stroke, and the adult names one thing to fix next time.
Day 4: The Slant and Putting Strokes Together
Goal: The child writes slant, undercurve and slant, overcurve and slant, downcurve and undercurve from the start dot in the direction of the arrows.
Cue for the slant: “Straight down, leaning right.”
Watch for: Slants that lean different ways, or lean to the left.
Combinations: Undercurve and slant appears in i, t, u and w (Week 3). Overcurve and slant appears in n, m, v and x (Week 7). Downcurve and undercurve appears in a, d, g, o, c and q (Week 6).
Left-handed note: Left-handed writer: slant the paper the other way (top turned to the right), hold the pencil a little higher, and keep the wrist below the writing line so the hand does not cover or smudge the letters. Pull strokes toward the elbow.
Routine checklist. Check each step as the child finishes it.
- ☐ Warm up: the child writes the stroke large in the air with a straight arm while saying the cue.
- ☐ The child traces the model with a finger, starting on the green dot and following the arrows.
- ☐ The child traces the gray strokes on the sheet, then writes on the empty rows.
- ☐ The child says the name of each stroke while writing it.
- ☐ The child circles his or her best stroke, and the adult names one thing to fix next time.
Day 5: Stroke Check
Check: Name the four strokes in a mixed-up order: downcurve, undercurve, slant, overcurve. The child writes each stroke on its own row without looking at the models.
Rubric: Score each area 1 (not yet), 2 (sometimes) or 3 (consistent).
| Area | What to look for | Score (1, 2 or 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Letter formation | Starts on the dot’s spot and follows the strokes in order. | |
| Size | Short letters reach the midline; tall letters reach the top line; tails go below the baseline. | |
| Slant | Letters lean the same way, a little to the right. | |
| Spacing | Even space between letters; a clear space between words. | |
| Joins | Each letter flows into the next without a lift, except where a dot or cross needs one. | |
| Legibility | Another reader can read every letter and word. |
Note: This week the Joins row is not scored. Score the other five areas, reading Letter formation as stroke formation.
Next step: If any area scores 1, repeat this week’s hardest lesson before moving on. Scores of 2 can be practiced alongside next week’s lessons.
Sources
- Alabama State Department of Education, ALEX, English Language Arts 2021, Grade 2, standard 37 and parts a to c: https://alex.alsde.edu/node/8723, https://alex.alsde.edu/node/8724 and https://alex.alsde.edu/stds/COS/8725/printer_friendly
- Alabama State Department of Education, Alabama Reading Initiative, Handwriting Guide K-3 (posture, grip, paper position and the scoring rubric adapted for Day 5): https://www.alabamaachieves.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ARI_20221019_Handwriting-Guide-K-3_V1.0.pdf
- TypeTogether, Playwrite US Trad (SIL Open Font License 1.1), via Google Fonts: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Playwrite+US+Trad
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