Many parents remember learning “running writing” at school and wonder whether it’s still a thing. It is. In Australia, children write separate letters from Prep to Year 2, then start joining their letters in Year 3. Here’s when kids learn cursive in Australia, what each year focuses on, and how you can help with joins at home without turning it into a battle.
Is cursive still taught in Australian schools?
Yes. The Australian Curriculum, which most states and territories teach, includes joined handwriting in Year 3 and Year 4. In Year 3 children learn to “write words using joined letters that are clearly formed and consistent in size” (AC9E3LY08). In Year 4 they “write words using clearly formed joined letters, with developing fluency and automaticity” (AC9E4LY08).
Victoria and NSW have their own curriculum documents, and they say the same thing in their own words. The Victorian Curriculum 2.0 uses the identical Year 3 wording (VC2E3LY13). The NSW English syllabus puts joining in Stage 2, which is Years 3 and 4: children form “legible joined letters to develop handwriting fluency” (EN2-HANDW-01).
Handwriting from Prep to Year 5
Handwriting builds step by step. Here is what the national curriculum asks for in each year, word for word.
| Year | What children learn |
|---|---|
| Prep (Foundation) | “form most lower-case and upper-case letters using learnt letter formations” (AC9EFLY08) |
| Year 1 | “write words using unjoined lower-case and upper-case letters” (AC9E1LY08) |
| Year 2 | “write words legibly and with growing fluency using unjoined upper-case and lower-case letters” (AC9E2LY08) |
| Year 3 | “write words using joined letters that are clearly formed and consistent in size” (AC9E3LY08) |
| Year 4 | “write words using clearly formed joined letters, with developing fluency and automaticity” (AC9E4LY08) |
| Year 5 and up | No separate handwriting goal: “From Year 5 onwards, students continue to develop legible handwriting.” |
So joined writing is a Year 3 and Year 4 skill, and Prep to Year 2 is all about separate, well-formed letters. In Victoria, the matching codes are VC2EFLY15 (Prep), VC2E1LY15 (Year 1), VC2E2LY13 (Year 2) and VC2E3LY13 (Year 3). Tasmania’s handwriting guidelines teach joined script across Years 3 to 5.
One detail is worth knowing: the Year 3 achievement standard says children “write texts using letters that are accurately formed and consistent in size”. It’s the Year 3 content that adds joins. In other words, Year 3 is when joining starts, not a test of perfect cursive.
Why do schools still teach joined writing?
The curriculum’s own words give the reason: fluency. Joining lets the pen keep moving, so writing gets quicker and smoother over time, and children can put more of their attention on ideas, spelling and sentences. Tasmania’s guidelines add another benefit: “Teaching learners to use cursive or joined script provides an opportunity to review and correct letter formations.”
The style of joins depends on your state. NSW children learn “NSW Foundation Style cursive”, and Victorian children learn joined Victorian Modern Cursive. Our guide to handwriting styles by state has the details.
Is my child ready to join?
Tasmania’s guidelines list signs of readiness, such as learners who “show signs of trying to join the letters together”. A few more things make joining much easier:
- Each letter starts in the right place. A letter started from the bottom is hard to join, so good starting points in Prep to Year 2 pay off now.
- Letters are a steady size. Small letters, tall letters and tails each have their own space.
- A comfortable grip. Joining asks for longer, smoother movements. See pencil grip by age if writing still looks tense.
- Few reversals. If b and d still swap often, work on that first. Our post on why children write letters backwards can help.
How exit flicks turn into joins
In Victorian Modern Cursive, many letters end with a small exit flick, even in Prep. Those flicks are there for a reason: later, the flick simply keeps going into the next letter, and that’s the join. Children who have learnt their flicks well often find joining feels natural.
Other styles prepare for joining in their own ways. Tasmania’s style, for example, gives lower-case d an exit link “to minimise reversals and confusion with lowercase b”. Whatever the style, follow the joins your child’s teacher shows.
Helping with joins at home
- Start with two letters. Join just a pair, such as a and n, a few times. Say the movement as you go: “round, up, over and on”.
- Move to short words. Pick words your child writes often: their name, and, the, is. Familiar words make joining feel useful.
- Trace, then copy. Trace a model first, then write it alone beside the model. KidStudy’s Joining letters sheet does this for Year 3.
- Keep it short. Five to ten minutes is plenty. Stop on a good line.
- Praise one thing. “Those joins in and are lovely and smooth.” Specific praise helps more than “neat!”.
Left-handed children and joins
Joined writing can be harder for left-handers, because the hand moves across what has just been written. A slightly tilted page, a pencil held a little higher up and a relaxed wrist all help. Our guide to teaching a left-handed child to write covers paper position and smudging, and KidStudy’s sheets have a left-handed option.
Questions parents ask
When do kids learn cursive in Australia?
In Year 3. The Australian Curriculum and the Victorian Curriculum both start joined letters in Year 3, and NSW teaches joining in Years 3 and 4. From Prep to Year 2, children write separate, unjoined letters.
Is cursive still taught in Australian schools?
Yes. Joined writing is part of the curriculum in Year 3 and Year 4. From Year 5, the curriculum says students continue to develop legible handwriting.
What is joined (running) writing?
It’s handwriting where the letters in a word are connected, so the pencil keeps moving. Schools call it joined writing, cursive or running writing. The exact joins depend on your state’s handwriting style.
Should my child learn cursive before Year 3?
There’s no need. Prep to Year 2 is about forming separate letters well, from the right starting points and at a steady size. That’s what makes joining easy later.
What is a pen licence?
Some schools let children move from pencil to pen once their handwriting is neat and joined, and call it a pen licence. It’s a school tradition rather than part of the curriculum, so ask your child’s school how it works there.
How can I help my child with joined writing at home?
Practise joining two letters, then short words your child writes often, for five to ten minutes at a time. Trace a model first, then copy it, and praise one specific thing each time.
Sources
- English: Year 3, Australian Curriculum (ACARA)
- English Version 2.0: curriculum, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
- English K–10 Syllabus: Stage 2, handwriting, NSW Education Standards Authority
- Tasmanian Handwriting Guidelines, Department for Education, Children and Young People, Tasmania
