Sherisse Kenerson stood in the front of her classroom Thursday afternoon at Holmes Middle School in Lincolnia, Virginia, and explained how to write the letters “M” and “N” in cursive.
Then, she had the group of students that were eagerly watching her try to write it on their own, either on a lined worksheet or dry erase board.
She reminded them of some of the rules of writing in cursive, such as not lifting the pencil off the page until finishing writing a word, and recapped which way to tilt the paper based on which hand is writing.
“A lot of students don’t know how to do it,” Kenerson told WTOP.
Then, after several rounds of practice, Kenerson prepared students for a competition, during which they brainstorm and write down as many proper nouns that start with a specific letter as possible.
When the game concludes, everyone gets a piece of candy. The winner is offered more.
“I figured it’d be a way to kind of introduce it to them and, hopefully, get them passionate enough about it that they’ll keep doing it,” she said.
By winter break, Kenerson said the students who participate in the Holmes Middle School Cursive Club will be familiar with how to write the entire alphabet.
The group, which meets twice each week after school, usually brings about a dozen students together. Kenerson joked that of all the Fairfax County school’s club offerings, her club is the least exciting.
But it might be the most practical.
“The fact that they decide to come back, that really gives me thrills,” she said.
Kenerson started teaching at Holmes Middle School four years ago, and she launched the club at the same time. She viewed it as a way to get to know her coworkers and be involved with the after-school program.
The club had a significant impact on Sandi Chande, who participated last year, and returned again this fall.
Sometimes it’s hard to write the letters, she said, but with enough practice it becomes easier.
“I hope to sign checks, and I hope to read the Constitution,” Chande said.
Sixth grader Marwa Lakroune heard that she’d probably have to write in cursive in high school, so she wanted to learn sooner. She’s finding cursive writing to be simple, and enjoys it because “you don’t pick up the pencil, and your hand doesn’t really cramp up all the time.”
The style also offers a competitive advantage.
“Maybe you can show off, say, ‘Ooh, I can write in cursive,’” Lakroune said.
One student told Kenerson writing in cursive is almost “fraud proof,” because nobody can “actually sign a document the way you do.”
In many cases, Kenerson said, the cursive practice gives students confidence and improves their handwriting.
Cursive writing is included in the elementary school curriculum, a school system spokesman said, but the club offers more consistent practice.
Sixth grader Sarah Stephens first learned cursive as an elementary student at a Catholic school and is refining the skill through the club.
“When I get older, I’m probably going to have to sign documents and stuff, so I’m probably going to spell my name in cursive,” Stephens said. “By that time, I’ll probably have practiced a lot, and I’ll be able to have my own way of doing it.”