What works in the classroom?

N ew handwriting models were tried early in the twentieth century. Most left out the movement exercises that everybody detested. The results were terrible. There were other things to worry about. People hardly noticed.

One of the new handwriting schemes was a revival of a fifteenth-century hand. It was called italic, which had also been a name for copperplate, and it was successfully resisted.

Handwriting model, circa 1932
The style that teachers had the good sense to reject was the chancery italic: too much to learn in one go.

The style is beautiful, steeped in history, and attracts people with a passion for letterforms, such as myself. It’s far from easy to write, and shows up inferior penmanship. In the ordinary lives of average people, it is as useful as a hitching post. They need handwriting that works when they’re upset, when the light is bad, when they’re in a hurry.