Category Archives: News
Pre-Writing Activity
The goal for handwriting is to develop fluency, to be able to write legibly at age-appropriate speed. It is a skill that we need until such time that technology proves it is no longer useful. That may or may not … Continue reading
WHEN CURSIVE DOESN’T WORK
Handwriting is a physical skill. It is the only physical skill that is taught and learned in two diverse ways. Play a saxophone, play soccer; name any other physical skill and there is just one way to do it. Once … Continue reading
We Are Always Learning
I am beginning to grasp a piece of the controversy that is driving manuscript, or cursive, or keyboard instruction in schools. I am a self-taught italic handwriting instructor. I still work with italic because I believe in the success of … Continue reading
More Comment than Review of The Missing Ink by Philip Hensher
The book is certain to have an impact on those who fret over the fate of handwriting. I especially appreciated the last chapter regarding our very human reasons for putting pen to paper. As one who has taught an italic … Continue reading
Cursive in the News
Should we or shouldn’t we teach cursive writing in schools? Here is one of the very few news articles that makes reasonable sense: http://www.philasun.com/news/3604/34/Goodbye-cursive-writing.html The graphics that accompany the article implies a bias that cursive belongs to our past, but … Continue reading
A Waste of Time?
Dictation software has been advancing for awhile. I just read a review of the current version of Dragon. Why are we teaching Keyboarding? It may be useful in the present, but for elementary school students keyboards will likely be obsolete … Continue reading
Hands on Pencils
Recently I have been reading about pen(cil) holds. There are arguments about this or that finger position on the pen, but so far I see nothing about the quality of the hold. I do see photographs and drawings where even … Continue reading
Handwriting Instruction
Handwriting is a much publicized issue. Rightly so, if we consider the research into the cognitive advantages of learning to write by hand rather than relying on keyboards. I am aware of two companies that appear to be trying to … Continue reading