Homeschool Resources: Zaner-Bloser Handwriting

Handwriting is actually the source of much tension in my life right now.  That also makes it my least favorite subject to teach, but, alas, we continue to muddle through!  Not until I was confronted with Mary wanting to learn to write did I realize that there were many opinions about teaching handwriting!  While I am really green in the area of handwriting instruction and homeschooling in general, my personal opinion is that success relies more upon consistency and repetition than it does the particular method.  That said, we currently use Zaner-Bloser.  I chose this curriculum for a few reasons:

• It was recommended in The Well-Trained Mind.
• It is manuscript rather than cursive.  I personally thought it would be easier to teach my children to write in the style that they read in books.  While some advocate teaching cursive first because the strokes may be easier for young children, I wanted to teach manuscript first.
• I personally prefer the look of vertical manuscript to other manuscript styes.  This is just my personal preference.
• I learned to write using vertical manuscript, so I figured it would be easier for me to teach this style also.

Each year, I buy a handwriting practice book from Zaner-Bloser as well as the appropriate ream of lined paper.  I have never bought the teacher's guide, nor do I think it is necessary.  Here are some of the key aspects of this handwriting curriculum:

• Teaches appropriate positioning including the proper posture, positioning of the paper, way to hold the pencil, etc.  
• Demonstrates the correct formation of each letter, uppercase and lowercase.  
• Teaches children to pay attention to four keys of legibility: shape, size, spacing and slant.  
• Uses continuous stroke, which some believe to be easier for young children to master than the more traditional ball and stick method.  
• Emphasizes personal evaluation.  For example, after writing the letter "a" repeatedly on the same line, the student will circle her best "a" on the line.

Completing these practice workbooks clearly illustrates how much handwriting can improve with daily practice!  Sometimes, I find it necessary to go back and look at what Mary's handwriting looked like at the beginning of the year.  I always see the imperfections in her work.  When I look back, though, I am encouraged at how much her handwriting has improved over the course of the year!  Again, I do not think that this is because she is so great or I am so great or Zaner-Bloser is so great, but rather it is the reward of consistent practice.