What do you think?
Rate this book
Read Cursive Fast - Learn to Read Cursive, Historical Documents, and Notes Even if You Don't Write by Hand
138 pages, Perfect Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 30, 2022
I'm a 33-year-old Autistic adult.
Before reading this book I was about 95% unable to read cursive at ALL. While I feel I may need to go over and do the exercises again, it was immensely helpful.
The book itself is written in plain language and that was something I received very well. It speaks to the nature of including those with reading struggles in general, and I felt like that was an important aspect. My needing to go thru it again is entirely because of my own disability and attention issues, not at all the fault of the book itself.
The margins and the letter spacing were easy on my own eyes, though I do not have any specified font detection issues, I often find books and signs hard to read due to fonts/spacing. I had no issues with that in this book.
It's somewhat like a book you may have used to learn print letters in primary school in that it gives you examples and then exercises to help you get a grasp on the thing that was just taught. On top of all of that, the instruction made sense! Even to my autistic (and at this point anti-cursive) brain. Instructions and examples were clear and useful. Another important thing to note is that it does not appear to talk down to the reader. I was concerned as some "adult learning" books unconsciously infantilize, etc. the reader
and this one does not, in my opinion.
At the end of the book, I was able to read cursive much more clearly and efficiently. I even tested myself on some writing outside of the book and was a little amazed, to be honest. It made cursive seem much less difficult. I would certainly recommend giving it a try if you struggle with cursive in any capacity. You even have the option of cutting out a cute achievement award at the end of the book. I would say I went from 2% readability to as much as 80% this time. It's a great resource.
Before reading this book I was about 95% unable to read cursive at ALL. While I feel I may need to go over and do the exercises again, it was immensely helpful.
The book itself is written in plain language and that was something I received very well. It speaks to the nature of including those with reading struggles in general, and I felt like that was an important aspect. My needing to go thru it again is entirely because of my own disability and attention issues, not at all the fault of the book itself.
The margins and the letter spacing were easy on my own eyes, though I do not have any specified font detection issues, I often find books and signs hard to read due to fonts/spacing. I had no issues with that in this book.
It's somewhat like a book you may have used to learn print letters in primary school in that it gives you examples and then exercises to help you get a grasp on the thing that was just taught. On top of all of that, the instruction made sense! Even to my autistic (and at this point anti-cursive) brain. Instructions and examples were clear and useful. Another important thing to note is that it does not appear to talk down to the reader. I was concerned as some "adult learning" books unconsciously infantilize, etc. the reader
and this one does not, in my opinion.
At the end of the book, I was able to read cursive much more clearly and efficiently. I even tested myself on some writing outside of the book and was a little amazed, to be honest. It made cursive seem much less difficult. I would certainly recommend giving it a try if you struggle with cursive in any capacity. You even have the option of cutting out a cute achievement award at the end of the book. I would say I went from 2% readability to as much as 80% this time. It's a great resource.
June 6, 2022
READ CURSIVE FAST is an excellent practical guide that helps you to learn how to read any cursive text.
Even 100 years ago, all children were taught the ability to write in beautifully slanted cursive handwriting in schools. Today, a lot has changed.
And I know, from my own experience, that cursive causes the most significant difficulty and often becomes a barrier to reading—all because there are almost endless variations of lettering in this kind of writing, and the boundaries of some graphic characters are blurred. Further, the less the writer controls the calligraphic quality of his cursive, the more likely he is to write unreadable letters.
Kate Gladstone has written a book that helps students achieve automaticity in decoding cursive in a short time.
The author teaches us to find letters in continuous intricate patterns of curls. Each lesson contains an explanation of writing rules in simple language, supported by accessible examples, and practice exercises.
The book is well structured. Starting with simple individual letters and words, we realize, by the end of the book, that we can read documents from about 200 years ago.
This is amazing!
The ability to read cursive text significantly expands learning opportunities.
READ CURSIVE FAST is an easy and enjoyable way to master this skill.
Even 100 years ago, all children were taught the ability to write in beautifully slanted cursive handwriting in schools. Today, a lot has changed.
And I know, from my own experience, that cursive causes the most significant difficulty and often becomes a barrier to reading—all because there are almost endless variations of lettering in this kind of writing, and the boundaries of some graphic characters are blurred. Further, the less the writer controls the calligraphic quality of his cursive, the more likely he is to write unreadable letters.
Kate Gladstone has written a book that helps students achieve automaticity in decoding cursive in a short time.
The author teaches us to find letters in continuous intricate patterns of curls. Each lesson contains an explanation of writing rules in simple language, supported by accessible examples, and practice exercises.
The book is well structured. Starting with simple individual letters and words, we realize, by the end of the book, that we can read documents from about 200 years ago.
This is amazing!
The ability to read cursive text significantly expands learning opportunities.
READ CURSIVE FAST is an easy and enjoyable way to master this skill.
March 3, 2022
Carefully stepped handbook for cursive comprehension
As a tutor, I research widely for tools that make it easier for neurodivergent students to overcome the difficulties they encounter in traditional education. This book is now on my list of tools. I appreciate the way Gladstone has included the histories of letter formation and the way she refuses to downplay the difficulty of recognizing them in their cursive form. Read Cursive Fast is definitely one to have in your tool kit!
Yvonna Graham, author of Dyslexia Tool Kit Expanded Edition: What to do when phonics isn't enough
As a tutor, I research widely for tools that make it easier for neurodivergent students to overcome the difficulties they encounter in traditional education. This book is now on my list of tools. I appreciate the way Gladstone has included the histories of letter formation and the way she refuses to downplay the difficulty of recognizing them in their cursive form. Read Cursive Fast is definitely one to have in your tool kit!
Yvonna Graham, author of Dyslexia Tool Kit Expanded Edition: What to do when phonics isn't enough
December 9, 2022
Just finished reading 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙁𝙖𝙨𝙩 and have to say that this innovative book for the many who struggle to make sense of cursive handwriting is like no other I have read previously. Ms. Gladstone has managed to provide a logical, step-by-step method of discerning each of the handwritten letters of the English alphabet---both upper and lower cases. As an educator, I recognize the unique value of this book, especially for the individuals I serve with dysgraphia and/or dyslexia. Already, I can think of students from age 10 and up as well as many adults who will benefit from reading this helpful text.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews