The handwriting of 756 eleventh grade students was evaluated to determine whether their handwriting styles would be characteristic of the manuscript or cursive styles they had been taught. Subjects had been taught Zaner-Bloser manuscript in primary grades with a transition to cursive in third grade. Analysis of handwriting samples revealed a wide…

Traces the development of each of four major handwriting styles currently being taught in the United States (cursive, manuscript, italic, and D'Nealian), describes a method for evaluating the difficulty of forming letters, and concludes that italic letterforms are least difficult to form and most advantageous to teach elementary students. (PGD)

A study was conducted to establish a process for evaluating the difficulty of different handwritten letter forms. A criterion for calculating difficulty scores was delineated and four sets of letter forms were evaluated: manuscript, cursive, italic, and D'Nealian. Using the criterion, small letters were given a score of difficulty, the sum of…

A study was conducted to determine the ability of kindergarten children to match manuscript, cursive, italic, and D'Nealian handwritten letters to typeset letters, their ability to read letters in these five styles, and the relationship of reading and matching abilities. Children were asked to match typeset distractors to lower case letters…

Noting that introducing students to cursive writing just when they have begun to master manuscript does not provide the continuity consistent with the rest of their education, a Montana school district implemented instruction in italic handwriting. The program was evaluated three years after implementation. Writing samples from all students in…