Hi Brad,
You are off to a lovely start! I'm going to be overly critical because you asked for critique so please don't take it to heart. You are doing quite well.
Overall, my advice would be to slow down and concentrate on drawing the letters, stroke by stroke. This is different than writing them.
Watch the shape of your a's and d's. You accomplish a very nice oval for the o's. This should be the same for your a's and d's. Watch the second stroke - that they aren't crowding into the oval shape. They should just meet the oval, not go into the negative center space of the o-form.
Practice your lead-in strokes. These should be at the same angle as your strokes. Also, on the h, choose one or the other in terms of a lead in (at the bottom or at the top), not both. For example, in "that", the t connects at the bottom. The upper loop should be at the same angle as that lead in and carry up (without showing on the left of the stroke). However, in "hear" it is OK to start the lead in at the top loop, however, then leave off the bottom lead-in.
Bump up your r's just a bit. The first stroke will extend just a bit above the midline so the letter is the proper height, otherwise they are just a tad too short.
Overall, you have very nice letterforms. The connecting lines will appear more graceful with practice. With practice, you develop a rhythm. This rhythm is what gives the letters finesse. It comes with time and practice and muscle memory. While I think it is important to practice words and sentences for spacing, make sure to take some time to practice individual letters. Really learn those shapes. You are developing a very nice hand.
