How to Teach Italic Handwriting

Clear, legible handwriting makes an impression on others and makes life easier for the writer and the reader. Barbara Getty and Inga Dubay wrote a series of easy to use workbooks to teach italic handwriting to children and adults. They recommend italic handwriting because it's simple to learn, elegant-looking and legible. And children can transition quickly from italic to cursive.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Begin to teach italic handwriting using the "Italic Handwriting Series," which ranges from Book A for Kindergarten to Book G for 6th Grade. Junior high students may start with Book G, and High School students may begin with "Write Now," which is geared toward adults.

2. Follow the teaching hints in the "Italic Handwriting Series Instruction Manual." This manual covers all books in the series, A through G. "Write Now" is self-explanatory and contains self-learning tips.

3. Teach at least three times a week until children have completed the workbook for their grade level. Check your child's posture from time to time because poor posture makes writing more difficult and causes muscle strain.

4. Assign short writing assignments for additional practice both for lessons and for everyday writing. For example, use italic handwriting to make notes on the family calendar or to add items to the grocery list. Once you have learned italic handwriting, use it as often as possible.

5. Give your children an opportunity to display their elegant and legible italic handwriting. Write thank you letters to family and friends, make place cards, design birthday and holiday cards, fill out customer service evaluations and label anything around the house that needs a beautiful italic label.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't skip the assessment and evaluation sections. Using the correct letter shape, size, slope and spacing will improve legibility.
• If your children have a habit of using a death grip on their pencils, teach them to put the pencils down and shake out both hands. This should release some of the physical tension.

Resources

• Buy italic handwriting books from Portland State University Continuing Education Press .

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[kategladstone]

on 6/4/2008 Also use the following free videos available from Italic handwriting teachers Kate Gladstone and Nan Jay Barchowsky —

"Handwriting Repair with Kate Gladstone" at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdCB6R1xI5I

and

"How to Improve Your Handwriting" with Nan Jay Barchowsky (video series) at
http://www.monkeysee.com/play/9112-how-to-improve-your-handwriting