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Handwriting question


kwickimom
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I bought Zaner Bloser handwriting book for my DD7. She learned some manuscript in 2nd grade last year at the ps. It is not going well. I cannot get her to put he right slant to her letters.

 

We have done a little work everyday for 2 weeks now and she has not gotten one bit better. I have printed of a bunch of my own "review" sheets and she hasnt even gotten the hang of "a"

 

Do you think I should buy another program or what? We have read the section on proper seating and paper position and slant. I have drawn the slants and had her draw her letters over it. I have done dotted line letters and had her practice those, but as soon as she goes back to writing on blank paper she reverts to no slant or backwards slant. I guess I am retraining her but I dont know to push on or do you think another program would teach it better?

 

I REALLy want her to have nice handwriting, or at least the correct handwriting!

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I have no experience teaching children, so I may not be very helpful. I do have experience with my own bad handwriting.

I did quite a bit of research (all on the net) a few years ago, bought a book (for adults), and revamped my handwriting. It is much better (legible and prettier) than before, but not perfect. I’ve since been diagnosed with dysgraphia, so I have accepted I will never have great handwriting.

I don’t mean to be rude, but is there any such thing as

the correct handwriting
?

While doing my research, I discovered many different styles of handwriting. I would not say that any one was more correct than another. For my purposes I wanted an attractive style, but legibility and ease (speed) of use were the most important characteristics. I am very pleased with my choice.

When I was in elementary school, I also wrote with little or no slant. I don’t ever remember it being a problem with any of my teachers, and I don’t think it was an issue with my sloppy handwriting. (My handwriting was sloppy with or without slant! :D)

See a chart here for a comparison of 5 handwriting styles with different degrees of slant: http://www.cep.pdx.edu/titles/italic_series/excerpts.shtml

Would it be possible for you to encourage proper letter formation and legibility and let the slant be what it may? Is the slant really so important to a neat, legible hand? I cannot answer those questions for you, of course.

Best Wishes whatever you decide.

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I still don't slant my letters. I'm as straight up and down as one can get! And it drove my mother NUTS. (I wasn't homeschooled, she just cared since she has beautiful handwriting. ;) )

 

The Handwriting without Tears letter style appeals to me for that reason. I don't think slanted writing looks any better than straight letters. And they say in cursive instruction that some children will slant and other children will not slant. Either is ok.

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I also don't think there's a "correct" handwriting unless you're doing something like calligraphy work. IMHO, The correct handwriting is one that's readable to all and formed quickly and fluently by the writer. If she's already learned her letters and needs more practice, I would say pick a system that's what the neatest version of her writing looks like and encourage her to work on forming better letters, but don't get too hung up on the details. Again, just my two cents...

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Yes, you're retraining, and it will take probably as long as it took for her to learn it incorrectly. :-(

 

And she's just 7. That's when many dc are learning cursive for the first time, anyway. Don't be frustrated; just gently make corrections. :-)

 

I tear out any pages my dc will be writing on and tape them to the writing surface, instead of having them write in a workbook of some kind. And I do this for *all* subjects, not just penmanship.

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by "correct handwriting" I meant that she forms the letters correctly, joins them correctly, and has the same slant. I would even take straight up and down, but not back slant. I liked the look of Zaner Bloser so thats what I picked.

I was just wondering if all programs taught the same way? I cant remember how I ever learned cursive. I was thinking some have different paper postions or maybe some kearned by tracing, some by copying...etc

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