In an article on handwriting (read below) appears which (among other things) depicts
as "correct" an unbelievably bad and painful way of holding a pen
(and also a rather questionable way of holding one's writing-paper).
Specifically, the photograph (above) accompanying the article shows a right
hand with the index-finger bending backwards in the middle, and with
the writing-paper turned a full 90 degrees to the left, and calls this
"the correct way to write."
Anne Ryman
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 24, 2005 12:00 AM
In an age of e-mail and text messaging, handwriting gets little attention.
But educators say it is an important skill that children need for academic reasons such as essay-writing on standardized tests, and for living their day-to-day lives long after school days are over.
"And people need to be able to read it," Anasazi Elementary Principal Jeff Quisberg said. advertisement
His Scottsdale school has found a new way to emphasize the importance of handwriting.
The school's parent-teacher group brings in a retired teacher to work with students on penmanship. Nicknamed the Cursive Queen by one class, Marilyn Harrer spends 10 to 20 minutes in classrooms and shows children how to hold a pencil, slant the paper and keep the elbow close to the body when they write.
Harrer, who began tutoring kids in math at the school after she retired in 1997, noticed that kindergartners didn't know how to hold their pencils. So she started to work with the kindergarten teachers and went into the classes once a week. This past school year, she also worked with third-graders on their switch to cursive writing.
"Even though we have computers today, I still feel there's a need for legible handwriting," she said.
It is important for children to be able to write a handwritten letter, she said. And later on in their school careers, they will have to write an essay for the state-mandated AIMS test and the college admission Stanford Achievement Test.
This past school year, one Anasazi student took her handwriting to greater heights. She and more than 200 other Anasazi students entered a national handwriting contest sponsored by Zaner-Bloser, an Ohio-based language arts and reading company.
Anasazi third-grader Olivia Rifai took the Arizona prize for her grade level.
The 8-year-old gets plenty of practice. She already has written her first 10-page adventure story, Ice Skating Chihuahua, and is at work on the sequel, Computer Madness, where the same dog gets stuck in a video game.
She has simple advice to kids who want to improve their handwriting.
"Practice," she said. "I just do it."
In fact, it takes only minutes every day to improve. Harrer recommends practicing at least 5 minutes a day.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
The most common problem is children want to keep the paper straight when they write cursive because this is the way they leaned to print their letters. When writing cursive, slant the paper so the lower left-hand corner goes toward your tummy. If you are left-handed, tilt the paper the opposite way. Keep your elbow close to your body.
Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your bottom to the back of the chair.
Many children grip the pencil with a thumb and two fingers, which is wrong. Sort of "pinch" the pencil with your index finger and your thumb and rest the pencil on your third finger. Kids often grip the pencil so hard their hand gets tired. The grip should be a little relaxed but not too loose.
Parents should emphasize repetition and correct their kids if they see them holding the paper or pencil wrong. Repetition sticks with the child. Children will develop their own writing style as they progress through the grades. But if they learn how to write correctly, their handwriting will still be legible as they go on through school, she said.
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