Penmanship: Teaching and Supervision

PENMANSHIP Teaching and Supervision
Teaching and Supervision
BY LETA SEVERANCE HILES
Supervisor of Penmanship Long Beach, California
Jesse Ray Miller 3474 UNIVERSITY AVENUE LOS ANGELES
Copyright 1924, by Jesse Ray Miller
FIRST PRINTING APRIL, 1924
Printed in the United States of America Press of Jesse Ray Miller Los Angeles
Reading, writing, and arithmetic have for long been looked upon as the fundamentals in education. And in very truth they are. Altogether too little attention has been given the expression of thought involved in the study of any school subject whether such expression takes the form of oral or written language. In fact, many failures in school and misunderstandings in actual life are due to inability to properly interpret text, read intelligently, or speak correctly.
No small part of this entire problem, especially when applied to grade pupils, is the mechanical or penmanship side. Everywhere there is criticism, on the part of teachers and parents, of the quality of the pupils’ writing. In many instances the process is a slow and laborious one. The bodily positions assumed by pupils during the operation of writing are harmful. The effort frequently results in an illegible scrawl. Too often, little or no attention is given penmanship in the grades and consequently boys and girls go through life laboring under a serious handicap.
In the following pages an attempt is made to bring definitely and concisely before educators the fundamental facts necessary to secure legibility and rapidity in penmanship, without causing strain of eye or cramp of hand. The treatment of the subject is simple and direct. The discussion of the problem of penmanship is followed by a consideration of the essentials necessary to the establishment of a habit that shall result in good penmanship. The materials necessary are taken up in detail. The teacher’s preparation is dwelt upon. Workable suggestions are given a place. One chapter deals with the minimum requirements for all and the closing chapter discusses supervision.