Are standard handwriting programs leaving you and your students uninspired? Are you wondering if you should introduce "cursive" and at what age? What about older students who continue to struggle with handwriting?
If you are in search of a different and beautiful way to inspire the writers in your life, you've come to the right place.
Welcome to my "Teaching Real Script" Online Course
This course is perfect for anyone who guides students in writing instruction - teachers, tutors, occupational therapists, or homeschool parents. It is also wonderful for any adult who has never felt satisfied or comfortable with their own writing, even if they never plan to teach.
Real Script teaches an ergonomically appropriate flowing motion for writing with ease and legibility. Letters may be written individually or may be ligatured as connected text. For people who find the physical act of writing more challenging, Real Script is often a way to alleviate their discomfort.
This course covers:
- The history and philosophy of Real Script – how it differs from conventional “cursive”
- The mechanics of healthy writing – posture & pen hold
- How to write the lowercase letters - pathways and terminology
- How to write the uppercase alphabet
- Ligatures and the true sense of cursive
- Teaching strategies for introducing Real Script to students
What is Real Script?
Real Script is based on the Chancery hand, originally an italic script developed by the writing masters of the Renaissance and still in use today. In Real Script, letters are not shapes, easily reversed. They are kinesthetic pathways we model on our hands, giving us the keys to proportion and legibility. When we write, we experience the “dance of the pen,” the down and bounce motion flowing from letter to letter.
As long as a student is following the letter pathways, their unique writing style is encouraged to emerge, as individual as their own fingerprints. After all, few adults still write in their school penmanship - many of us write with some combination of printing and cursive.
What if we could help our students develop a beautiful hand right from the start? Other programs base their initial instruction heavily on the uppercase letters. When children transition to real sentence writing, they must unlearn that reliance and be retrained to use mainly lowercase. Why not begin instruction with the letters used most often and incorporate the uppercase as needed? The clear pathway instruction offered in Real Script meets the needs of young children, too.
If a student wants to write in a cursive style, that foundation has already been established. No need to retrain the brain yet again!
Real Script is beautiful and honors the individuality of each person. When we write, our humanity flows from our minds and hearts through our hand and onto the page. Guiding students with proper writing instruction provides them the opportunity to express themselves freely whenever they desire.
Why Real Script?
Meet the instructor, Rebecca Loveless, to hear how Real Script can support you and your students.
~PreK script~
Not only have I seen a huge transformation in the legibility of my students work, I see it in my own handwriting. As a dyslexic individual, I really struggled to be able to read or write in cursive and have been stuck printing letters. Be able to write in a more mature way, is a huge confidence builder for my students and myself.
-Marie F., tutor
~4th grade script~
I dove in with two of my students and we are absolutely loving it. Your class gave me the confidence I needed to start teaching script. One student in particular absolutely loathed writing by hand. To see him relish in the joy of script is so exciting and uplifting. Thank you for the ineffable joy your class has brought to my students and me.
-Morgan B., tutor
~2nd gr script~
I’m so motivated by your comforting, mellifluous manner. I wasn’t sure I needed this class, but I’m so glad I decided otherwise. Can’t wait to get going with the eager beavers next week!
-Michelle M., 2nd grade teacher
Example Curriculum
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course begin?
- The course starts the moment you enroll, and it is always available! It is a self-paced, online course - you can watch and learn when it is convenient for you.
How long will I have access to the course?
- After enrolling you will have unlimited access to the lessons and resources for the life of the course. Revisit as many times as you like!
What materials will I need?
- You will need blank paper and a smooth, comfortable ink pen. You can use a fountain pen if you like, or any ink-based pen such as Pentel Energel.
At what age can students learn Real Script?
- Once children begin to experiment with writing letters and words, they can begin learning Real Script, even as young as 4- or 5-years old.
Will this course be useful if my students use a different style of writing at school?
- Yes! Some students who prefer to write in Real Script get special permission from teachers to use it at school. The letter formation instruction in script can benefit any writer, even if they maintain a more plain manuscript style.
Is Real Script appropriate for students with dysgraphia?
- Absolutely. Many students who struggle find greater ease and success writing with Real Script.
Is Real Script the same as cursive?
- Real Script is different from the conventional cursive you may be used to seeing. Technically it is a cursive style, meaning a "running, flowing" script with the potential to be connected or "ligatured." One benefit is that we can focus on ligaturing orthographic units, such as suffixes and digraphs, to support further automaticity in spelling.
Will I be ready to teach script to students after this course?
- Yes, this course covers everything you need to begin teaching script to your students. It's possible to complete the course in just a few weeks. You may want to continue practicing for 3-6 weeks before sharing it with students.
What is the difference between Real Script and Chancery script?
- The term 'Real Script' was coined by Real Spelling to describe the re-engagement with the Chancery hand, which was used during the Renaissance period. The terms 'Real Script', 'Chancery script', and simply 'script' are sometimes used interchangeably, though technically Real Script is a style that has been adapted from the original Chancery hand.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
- If you feel unhappy with the course contents, please let me know. I will provide a full refund within 14 days of enrollment.