I never really learned cursive. I was put in an advanced class after the second grade, where the teacher seemed surprised that we younger ones hadn’t learned any cursive yet. She pronounced that we’d just have to ‘pick it up’ - and my handwriting has forever been a weird combination of printing and cursive.
What strikes me is that even when my dad and his mother were very old and ‘rickety’, their handwriting was still artful. And I do think that the discipline and concentration that kids develop by learning those techniques have many benefits beyond just beautiful handwriting.
We were taught cursive in the 3rd grade. We were taught printing in the first. We referred to what is now called cursive as “real writing”.
I have never had good penmanship but it is not the fault of the teachers. I just don’t have that talent. If I concentrate and write slowly, I can do OK. If in a hurry it is barely legible.
My Dr. who is a Harvard grad has terrible handwriting. I sometimes wonder how the pharmacist can read his prescriptions.