This is such a powerful and searching question to reflect upon. If you are a member and have read our most recent newseltter (March 2017) you will recall the inspiring interview link with Shirley Hughes and Judith Kerr answering the question "When did you first feel yourself a writer?". There is however much information on the pedagogy of early years writing and early years environments to promote literacy and this is what we can focus on in early education for breadth and readiness preparing motivated writers of the future. It is only now that we are looking for research evidence in this area because teachers are having to argue against doing it, or foundation stage classes are having it imposed on them. This could perhaps be because until recently no one thought about teaching it until after age 6 or over. Interestingly, information in the public domain about early years and cursive writing is quite limited.
The Development Matters guidance covers writing (but not specifically handwriting or cursive and joined up writing) in both prime and specific learning areas of physical development and literacy but stresses that all learning is interconnected and learning must be developmentally appropriate for each child. The EYFS statutory requirements (2017) do not specify anything about handwriting, nor do they mention the word itself. The three pages in this section help to present the evidence for NOT teaching cursive or joined up writing in the early years.