What Handwriting Did You Learn In School?

[Nimmireth]

Palmer method, taught by Dominican nuns with sharp edged rulers to assist in correcting one's penmanship.

 

That's certainly learning the hard way - ouch! How is your handwriting now?

[FooWriter]

Palmer method, late '60s, northeast Ohio, USA.

[funkypeanut]

I learned the Palmer method in the midwestern US in the 1970s. In fact, my miniscule p still has an exaggerated ascender, although I've abandoned lots of other Palmer quirks.

[Mike 59]

I can't remember being taught any particular style of handwriting at my various schools in the '60 and '70's. Everyone I knew used a Bic 'Crystal' biro, but a few tried to change to a fountain pen, probably a Platignum cartridge type. My class seemed to be divided into two groups, those with 'good' handwriting, (the girls) and the rest, with poor handwriting, (the boys.) I can remember collecting the exercise books up, and wondering how so many of the class had been able to use a typewriter without anyone noticing! I would describe their style as 'balloon', that is every letter was based on a sqaushed 'o', and it was probably called 'good work' by the teacher, but to my eye was hard to read for more than a few lines. My 'style' was left slant, right slant, straight upright, small, and large. In fact, I only made a real effort to change and learn to write in certain regular style, after I left school. It makes me laugh to myself now, when an 'admin' type, in an office somewhere, says, "neat writing, makes a change". I use Pc's a great deal, but it doesn't compare to writing with my Parker Frontier F.P.

[meowmda]

I learned handwriting in Minnesota, in the mid to late 70's. I don't remember it being called by a particular name, but I remember the examples being around the classroom as a border. It was very close to Z-B, but maybe not "Simplified" as I remember it having more ornate capitals, and the capital Q was written more like the numeral 2.

 

It wasn't the Palmer method, which is what my Grandma learned. She and her sister had exceptionally lovely handwriting, wonderful examples of the Palmer Method, and I don't think I have any letters anymore that showcase it. It wasn't D'Nealian.

 

Purrr, I love the example you have posted. That is what my handwriting more or less looks like now; basically a joined printing (but not consistent and pretty!)

[Purrr]

Purrr, I love the example you have posted. That is what my handwriting more or less looks like now; basically a joined printing (but not consistent and pretty!)

It's feels reassuring to know that at least someone likes it, as it makes things a bit more reasonable or dare I say bearable that it was ever taught to the masses.

But I must ask, do you slant it or is it as straight as a plumb-line? Around 10% offset from the vertical seems to be fitting as it looks of italic descent to my eyes.

[kathleen]

I received instruction in cursive writing in 1961 while in the 5th Grade of Elementary School. A workbook was used and the method was

The Palmer Method. I remember practicing pages of ascending and descending loops and counter-clockwise circles, always with the paper at a slight tilt.

 

Fifty years later, I have never strayed far from the basics I was taught. Without special attention, extra effort or concentration this is my penmanship.

 

Pen used an Esterbrook J with #9668 nib. Ink FPN Van Gogh Starry Night. Written on a legal tablet from Staples.

 

Edited September 1, 2011 by kathleen

[Dolganoff]

Anyone from some European countries?.

 

This is Vere Foster Civil Service Script, taught in UK schools in the 1940's. It's a simplified form of "Copperplate" but written more upright. Our first writing experience was with dip pens fitted with flexible nibs!

 

caliken

 

http://www.fulltable.com/VTS/a/artman/wr/03.jpg

 

I like it! Simple but elegant.

[antimony]

I learned handwriting in Minnesota, in the mid to late 70's. I don't remember it being called by a particular name, but I remember the examples being around the classroom as a border. It was very close to Z-B, but maybe not "Simplified" as I remember it having more ornate capitals, and the capital Q was written more like the numeral 2.

 

I learned handrwiting at a catholic school in Kentucky in the mid to late 80's, and I think I learned the same style as you did - very close to the Z-B, but slightly more fussy. I remember that ridiculous Q.

[meowmda]

Purrr, I love the example you have posted. That is what my handwriting more or less looks like now; basically a joined printing (but not consistent and pretty!)

It's feels reassuring to know that at least someone likes it, as it makes things a bit more reasonable or dare I say bearable that it was ever taught to the masses.

But I must ask, do you slant it or is it as straight as a plumb-line? Around 10% offset from the vertical seems to be fitting as it looks of italic descent to my eyes.

 

I try to be straight up, but usually end up slanting a bit as I am in a hurry.

[Nimmireth]

I received instruction in cursive writing in 1961 while in the 5th Grade of Elementary School. A workbook was used and the method was

The Palmer Method. I remember practicing pages of ascending and descending loops and counter-clockwise circles, always with the paper at a slight tilt.

 

Fifty years later, I have never strayed far from the basics I was taught. Without special attention, extra effort or concentration this is my penmanship.

 

Pen used an Esterbrook J with #9668 nib. Ink FPN Van Gogh Starry Night. Written on a legal tablet from Staples.

 

 

Beautiful handwriting, Kathleen! I think Z-B came out just a few years after you learned your Palmer. I was in the third grade in 1968 and they were teaching Z-B then. Frankly, I don't know why they switched, Palmer is a much prettier script.

[Freddy]

Cursive and or block....Currently written double time...

 

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Fred

[kathleen]

I received instruction in cursive writing in 1961 while in the 5th Grade of Elementary School. A workbook was used and the method was

The Palmer Method. I remember practicing pages of ascending and descending loops and counter-clockwise circles, always with the paper at a slight tilt.

 

Fifty years later, I have never strayed far from the basics I was taught. Without special attention, extra effort or concentration this is my penmanship.

 

Pen used an Esterbrook J with #9668 nib. Ink FPN Van Gogh Starry Night. Written on a legal tablet from Staples.

 

 

Beautiful handwriting, Kathleen! I think Z-B came out just a few years after you learned your Palmer. I was in the third grade in 1968 and they were teaching Z-B then. Frankly, I don't know why they switched, Palmer is a much prettier script.

 

Thank you for the compliment.

To answer the question as to why a school would switch programs, I have taught in the public school system for 27 years. The cost of a program, its student books, handbooks and visual aids for the classroom are quite often the determining factor. The publishers and their sales representatives work hard to demonstrate and sell their particular products to the schools. Often throwing in "extras", special "bonus material" if you choose to buy their products. Here is a page from a current Zane-Bloser Catalog featuring the materials they are offering for handwriting instruction. One Student Edition Workbook is listed at $10.99 the Teacher's Edition is $97.49. Cost is most likely the deciding factor.

 

 

Edited September 1, 2011 by kathleen

[Nimmireth]

 

Thank you for the compliment.

To answer the question as to why a school would switch programs, I have taught in the public school system for 27 years. The cost of a program, its student books, handbooks and visual aids for the classroom are quite often the determining factor. The publishers and their sales representatives work hard to demonstrate and sell their particular products to the schools. Often throwing in "extras", special "bonus material" if you choose to buy their products. Here is a page from a current Zane-Bloser Catalog featuring the materials they are offering for handwriting instruction. One Student Edition Workbook is listed at $10.99 the Teacher's Edition is $97.49. Cost is most likely the deciding factor.

 

 

 

I thought everyone had switched to D'Nealian in the U.S. Ignorant of me. Are handwriting programs chosen by the school district or the individual school?

[The Royal Pen]

 

I thought everyone had switched to D'Nealian in the U.S. Ignorant of me. Are handwriting programs chosen by the school district or the individual school?

 

I know this is rather off-topic, and even though I don't know about the US, but here, a style which is extremely similar to the sample which Caliken posted is taught, with School-board standard cahiers and workbooks. Though, the schools outside of the district (Private, Preperatory, Independent [of which I am more knowledgable]), decide for themselves. I am pretty sure that Nelson, Marion Richardson, Zaner-Bloser and Palmer are currently being taught. Our education system is quite extremely similar to that of the UK and Eire. I'm not a teacher....but I am just nosy about stuff like this

 

Though, from what I've seen online, I think that in the US, it varies from school-to-school....but, just guessing am I.

[kathleen]

In my school district major adoptions of curriculum related teaching materials, and textbooks are made at the district level after committees comprised of teachers attend presentations by the publishers and review samples of the materials. Evaluations are shared and recomendations made. Then the materials are adopted and placed in the classrooms. Teachers attend many hours of inservice training whenever there are new adoptions.

 

[WendyNC]

I'm another one who was taught that hybrid of Palmer and ZB (maybe non-simplified ZB). However, before they got to me, I already had Daddy teaching me Business Writing. We got in trouble at school.

[Belles-lettres]

Kentucky, mid 1950s, Ursuline nuns with wooden yardsticks that often broke during application standing over us as we struggled with the Palmer Method. Handwriting in the 2nd grade produced the only failing grade of my school career. By high school I dropped cursive entirely as it was too slow for note taking and had adopted the printing method espoused by the Amateur Radio Relay League which was extremely fast and legible (it proved to be a major advantage later at uni).

[Dolganoff]

Kentucky, mid 1950s, Ursuline nuns with wooden yardsticks that often broke during application standing over us as we struggled with the Palmer Method. Handwriting in the 2nd grade produced the only failing grade of my school career. By high school I dropped cursive entirely as it was too slow for note taking and had adopted the printing method espoused by the Amateur Radio Relay League which was extremely fast and legible (it proved to be a major advantage later at uni).

 

Interesting! Do you have exemples of this script?

[79spitfire]

California in the'70s it appears they were using a variant of the ZB and Palmer scripts. Likely depended on which school I was in at the time (we moved about a bunch) So basically my handwriting currently stinks...