Children's writing

I really like to do children's handwriting but it has to be looked at more forgivingly than an adults. They are facing hormonal changes, drugs, the cruelty of children one to another, often parents who are too tired or too busy to seem to care plus the pressures of school. Myself, I was glad it was my daughter who had to raise two children 20 years ago and now its my great-grandchildren and the pressures are even greater.
Children cannot be expected to have the maturity for long range plans but it is a good thing when I do a school presentation and can teach the kids how cursive is important. Not only is it actually faster to write but the connections between letters is important. Angle connections show logic and analytic ability, garlands show friendliness, and arcades are a form of self protection as well as of being creative. There are three more connection types but these are used by the majority of writers. Printing fosters a seperateness from others especially bad at a time of life when it is important to them to belong, to a family, a group, or unfortunately to a gang.
Also these occasions give me a chance to help explain to teachers why Tim or John or Judy are such a handful in class. Some are bored by the classes geared to the slower thinkers in class. They want hands on, how does it work, let me try learning. Then you have the cumulative thinkers who cannot skip steps but must write things down to remember them or do it as they learn. Ask them a question even a little differently than it was explained to them in class and their time is spent figuring out just what you want before they can answer. Their class work may earn them A's but test drop them to C's. Or you may have those in class who have such terrible home lives they don't turn in homework or can't stay awake in class, or who have learning disabilities that have not been diagnosed or addressed.
My grandson is one of those, he is the slowest reader I have ever seen though he tests as having good reading comprehension. He can only manage about one third of a timed test because he can't be hurried. Yet when in school he regularly tested two to four years higher than his grade. Or you get the girl who won't wear her glasses because her family can't afford contacts so homework is good but classwork is bad.