Traces some historical developments in handwriting, noting the effects of different types of pens on handwriting. Reports findings from a study of the late Roman cursive, conducted as part of a project to develop a new model alphabet for school children. (GT)

To determine the opinions of parents concerning the relative merits of manuscript and cursive handwriting, an 11-question survey was made of 336 parents in a suburban California community. Results indicated that the majority of the 328 respondents preferred the use of manuscript writing in grades 1 and 2 but objected to its continued use through…

Argues the advantages of italic cursive as the handwriting to be taught in the schools. (IRT)

Before the state of student handwriting can be improved, children and their teachers must be thoroughly educated in sound handwriting skills. If a legible script is taught with sufficient vigor in the first six grades and in junior high school as well, children will be equipped for life with a valuable tool. To fortify these skills in the…

The importance of tidy, legible handwriting which effectively communicates ideas may be made evident to students through the use of purposeful, realistic writing situations. The writing of letters, diaries, poems, and invitations may provide a beneficial use of time and motivate students to improve their handwriting. The teacher can develop in…

A study of the accuracy of letter strokes made on wide- and normal-spaced paper by students during the transition to cursive writing confirms the advantages of wide-spaced paper. Both second- and third-grade students made more accurate strokes on wide-spaced paper. (Authors/PP)

Argues that language arts teachers need to guide pupils in developing good handwriting so that they may communicate content to others. Offers six principles of teaching and learning good handwriting. (FL)

The activities and teaching suggestions contained in this guide are intended for use by teachers who wish to assist students with handwriting difficulties. The first five sections of the guide provide ideas for the following areas: (1) reading readiness, (2) manuscript letters, (3) manuscript numbers, (4) cursive letters, and (5) cursive numbers.…

A study generated from a national sampling of parents and teachers sought to answer the following questions: (1) Are parents' and teachers' perceptions of handwriting alike or different? (2) Have parents' opinions about cursive and manuscript writing changed over the past ten years? and (3) What are current concerns regarding handwriting…

An inservice project to review the functional handwriting being taught in the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, school district produced a handwriting manual that provides teachers and students with models of letter forms and instructional exercises leading to the development of an individualized style of handwriting. The manual describes student…

A plea for the elimination of required instruction in cursive script from the elementary school curriculum. Difficulties of learning cursive are described as a handicap to student development of composition skills. Greater legibility and comparable speed of printing are cited. (BF)

Research related to methods for building competency in spelling has yielded information about three areas of teaching: word selection, generalizations to be taught, and application of spelling skills to writing. Research on word selection indicates that teachers should choose basic, high-frequency words for children to learn to spell, giving…

This review of research on handwriting and the legibility of print suggests that: (1) teachers' handwriting is less legible today than in the past, (2) manuscript should replace cursive writing in the classroom, and (3) letter size and case, leading, line length, and spacing between letters are the critical factors for legibility. (JMB)