I am really in a snit over Common Core and just generally the education of American children today. For one thing We are told that cursive writing is not necessary because of computers and technology. Well when computers came into vogue we were told it would eliminate the use of so much paper. Has that happened? NO! Computers may fail but paper and pencil don't. Cursive has so many things it imparts to the writer and in some countries it is done before printing. Why? Look at a child's scribbles. They do angles, loops, crossovers, waves. humps. All the forms they need to write. At an early age they get that words flow across the paper and some even break it into groups like words. Doing these forms in penmanship class not only taught control of the hand, wrist, arm and fingers but there were subliminal messages as well. To close the ovals, the letters of communication as well as the mouth. The open e loop also meant to open the ears and listen, practicing the forms of v's and w's to focus as well as to stay sharp with angles and change of direction. To make propeller f's just a loop above the line as well as below the line is relaxing. So which would you do before a test? When a class is rowdy? A line of u's is like a wave a line of humps like a catapillar. Mixing these forms try memememe. Then tell a small child to break it into me me me me and that they have just written ME! This can spark an interest in learning to write their individual name in cursive. So don't tell me cursive is a waste of time. I used soap chalk in the bath to let my grandchildren write on the tub and wall for practice as well as fun but nursery schools can write in a thin layer of sand on a cookie sheet. If using paper just use unlined because it doesn't matter if it is a straight line or not that comes later with lined paper.