Publisher hangs on to tradition

Though 21st-century pupils proficiently use computers, they still need to be taught handwriting.
For three centuries, Zaner-Bloser Educational Publishers has provided teachers and pupils with the means to learn handwriting as opposed to printing.
Teachers and others have had to learn something about the different styles of writing.
Zaner-Bloser teaches the vertical style of handwriting for manuscript as opposed to the slanted manuscript style, which is also known as the modified Italic style of handwriting.
"All textbooks and signs are written in vertical manuscript," said Georganna Harvey, National Product Manager at Zaner-Bloser Co.
"Manuscript" is the official name for what is commonly called printing or block printing. The next stage in the Z-B curriculum is a cursive style that would be familiar to anyone who has had to learn handwriting for many generations.
Because of the consistency in the font style of textbooks and signs with the vertical handwriting style, educators find it is easier for children to learn to write by hand using this style.
It requires only four strokes. Slanted or modified italic style consists of 12 strokes.
"Our manuscript is very developmentally appropriate to what youngsters are seeing all around them," Harvey said. "So when they're coming into school and having to learn so many new things, what we're doing is, we're correlating what they see in print all around them to what they're going to write."
Changing expectations
Though 21st-century pupils proficiently use computer keyboards, handwriting is still needed in their education. Harvey cited the upcoming change in the SAT test a national standardized college entrance board exam.
"Actually, today we find that it is even more essential for students to be learning handwriting because of all of the testing that they are involved in," Harvey said. "The testing requires that they give longer written answers, not just filling in bubbles. The SAT is going to require that students write an essay. They did come out this year and say that the essay must be handwritten. It cannot be done on a computer."
In the spring of 2002, the trustees of the College Board voted to include the essay as part of the SAT in the 2005 test for students entering college in 2006.
Harvey also noted that since the essay section of the SAT must be handwritten, it will bring out the personality of the individual student and not just what he or she knows.
"When students are writing essays, a personal style, or what we call voice, comes out in it more than when things are keyed in."
Computers are an indispensable part of our lives in this era of technology. But Harvey believes that handwriting will always have a place in our lives.