Decision: Cursive and/or Manuscript Handwriting

I have often been asked, "Is the teaching of cursive handwriting a necessary skill in public education?" The answer is a yes/no response. It is "yes" if the child wants to write it and "no" if a child is content with manuscript print.

Because the main purpose of writing is passing on information, it should be done in the most legible fashion which is manuscript print. D'Nealian's main concern, in teaching handwriting, is legibility.

The best quality of the D'Nealian printing technique is that once the 26 lower case letters are mastered, the script flows easily into cursive writing. No other method offers this.

It also has the advantage of devloping a rhythm when writing a letter. All letters are made with a continuous flowing stroke.

Letters are written in near normal size - not giant sized letters. They can be slanted or vertical as long as the slants are consistant in size and shape.

A major learning technique in D'Nealian are the audio directions that help the learner remember where to begin a letter and the direction in which it is formed.

All the above points make D'Nealian a leader in teaching the skill of handwriting.