s/o of handwriting rant, How do you form a manuscript capital A

[nukeswife]

In light of of the handwriting rant thread, I'm curious how we all form our capital As when using manuscript (print).

 

Poll to follow.

[maize]

I start at the bottom, just like I do for M and N.

[EKS]

Depending on my mood, I'll do either one.

[Aurelia]

I start at the top, pull down to the left and trace back up to do the other side from the top and make the crossbar from right to left. If I'm in a hurry, it can end up looking like I was trying to draw a star.

[MinivanMom]

I start at the bottom, just like I do for M and N.

 

This is what I do. I have taught my children the "correct way" of starting A, M, and N at the top, but they have all gravitated towards the mountain method over time.

[kitten18]

I voted for the first option but then I got out a piece of paper and ...

 

I start at the top and draw a line down to the left, trace back up that line, down to the right, then I pick up my pencil and me the horizontal line across.

I make M the same, start at the top, then retrace the first line, then down, up, down.

[Papillon Mom]

I start at the top, pull down to the left and trace back up to do the other side from the top and make the crossbar from right to left. If I'm in a hurry, it can end up looking like I was trying to draw a star.

 

me too!

[misty.warden]

I start at the top, pull down to the left and trace back up to do the other side from the top and make the crossbar from right to left. If I'm in a hurry, it can end up looking like I was trying to draw a star.

 

This for me, same for M, N, R, B, and P. I'm a lazy printer and my normal handwriting mixes manuscript and cursive.

[nansk]

I start from the top and draw the left slant line. Then I lift my pen, start again from the top and draw the right slant line. Then I life my pen and draw the horizontal bar from left to right. I guess I am a rule-follower.

 

My cursive capital A, however, which looks like this, starts from the bottom.

[RootAnn]

I voted for the first option but then I got out a piece of paper and ...

 

I start at the top and draw a line down to the left, trace back up that line, down to the right, then I pick up my pencil and me the horizontal line across.

I make M the same, start at the top, then retrace the first line, then down, up, down.

 

 

Ohmygosh! I, too, voted for the first option. After reading your post, I grabbed a piece of scrap paper and ... I make my A like you described. (I start at the bottom for my Ms & Ns, though.

[Reya]

The top is correct and gets much better results. However, I come from a generation that wasn't taught to write correctly, so I make a mountain.

[poiema]

I start my A at the top and draw a line down to the left and trace back over to the top and draw a line down to the right. Then I draw a horizontal line across.

[shinyhappypeople]

Start at the top, go straight down to the baseline, trace straight back up to the top, curve to the right, go down to the baseline, trace back up halfway and make a loop from right to left. Sounds more complicated than it is. Basically, if manuscript A and cursive A fell in love and had a baby, the result would be what I write :)

[anabelneri]

I essentially make a tall version of the lowercase "n", then pick up the pencil and make a crossbar. If I'm imagining shinyhappypeople's A correctly, it's like hers but less loopy.

:)

[BugsMama]

I start at the bottom, make the mountain, and without picking my pencil up, cross it from the bottom right to the mid left, kind of like a star. It's efficient.

[angelmama1209]

I essentially make a tall version of the lowercase "n", then pick up the pencil and make a crossbar. If I'm imagining shinyhappypeople's A correctly, it's like hers but less loopy.

:)

 

 

this is me, too!!!

[CatholicMom]

Ohmygosh! I, too, voted for the first option. After reading your post, I grabbed a piece of scrap paper and ... I make my A like you described. (I start at the bottom for my Ms & Ns, though.

 

A ha! So the results of this poll might be skewed if the peeps who re-trace their line are voting the first choice. ;)

[nukeswife]

A ha! So the results of this poll might be skewed if the peeps who re-trace their line are voting the first choice. ;)

 

Perhaps, but I think this comes from learning cursive and then your manuscript takes on a sort of hybrid version. I don't think many of us print or write in cursive exactly the way we were taught. The essence of starting at the top, sliding down to the left, returning to the top and sliding to the right is still there though.

[kandty]

I do both ways. I guess it just depends on my mood.

[RootAnn]

A ha! So the results of this poll might be skewed if the peeps who re-trace their line are voting the first choice. ;)

 

Cool thing is, with this new forum site, we can "delete my vote" and then vote again for the proper (Other) choice. :cheers2:

[boscopup]

If I'm writing slowly and carefully, I start at the top and pick up my pencil to go back to the top. If I'm writing fast, like I usually do, I start at the top and retrace as mentioned above, doing the entire thing in one motion. That is not a proper manuscript formation though. That's a hybrid manuscript/cursive formation. :)

[Wee Pip]

The *correct* way is supposed to be: start at the top, draw a line down. Start back at the top, draw a line down the other way...

It annoys me, though - manuscript letters are typically taught "start at the top", even though it seems very natural to start at the bottom. Then, when you reach cursive, most of the letters start at the bottom. I'm not sure why that is. I think it would lend itself naturally to cursive if manuscript letters start at the bottom:) All those years (and tears) over making my handwriting-resistant dd start at the top for printing, and then switching her to starting at the bottom for cursive - it was more hassle than it was worth!

FWIW, I think I was taught to start at the top, but I voted start at the bottom for my letter A. It's faster and easier to do, and less pencil pick-ups to achieve a fine looking A:)

[unity]

Start at top, slant to left, back to top, slant to right, then sharp curve to make crossbar right to left, with big backwards flourish--sort of calligraphic.

[LanningMama]

I mix between Manuscript and cursive, so 9 out of ten times I use cursive for my capital A. When I am working on handwriting with my dd, I usually start at bottom and make the mountain then crossbar. It just helped ds when we transitioned to cursive. My ds has such terrible handwriting, I'm just thankful when it's legible. Even if it is a cross between cursive and mauscript;especially due to laziness. :glare: My dd just loves writing and drawing, so we've not had problems with her penmanship and she prefers to start at bottom for easier flow of writing. :laugh: