2. Pupils should stand with the left side turned slightly toward the board to insure slant writing, and prepare to write as high as the eyes. Make movement for the exercises in the air yet almost touching the copy first, in order to gain correct size and spacing.
3. All pupils should write to the teacher’s count or dictation. Require much concert work at the board. Keep the lips closed and thus avoid breathing dust from the crayon. Hold the crayon between the thumb, and first and second fingers, allowing the end not in contact with the board to extend toward the center of the palm.
4. Straight strokes and ovals on correct slant will serve as a basis upon which to build all letters and words. Pupils should step along with the work as it is executed on the board, and thus keep correct alignment.
5. Pupils should be taught to do board work carefully, whether it be a writing exercise or regular work. Develop all difficult new drills at the board first. Suppose the class numbers forty; allow twenty to pass to the board for a ten minute period, if twenty minutes is the time allotted for a writing lesson. The groups at the seats should be taught to do the counting for or with the teacher, also to be alert for all errors in posture, slant and form.
6. It is very important that the line should be made strong enough that it may be seen easily from the rear of the room without eye strain. The writing should be large enough to be seen easily from any point in the room.
7. When erasing use a downward stroke. Lift the eraser on the upward stroke. This allows the dust to drop in the trough; a good signal is, “Erase,” “Lift,” “Erase,” “Lift,” or “Down,” “Lift,” “Down,” “Lift.”
PAPER
“A workman is known by his tools.” It is as essential that good material be supplied for the penmanship as that any other department be well supplied as regards quality and quantity. Not only should good paper, pencils, pens and ink be used during the formal lessons each day, but in every lesson wherein writing is used to carry on the other work. Permit no scribbling, utilize every line, keep paper in neat folders; thus economize in the right manner, and not by the purchase of poor equipment, which is an irritation to teacher and pupil alike. The difference in cost of good and poor material is slight when compared with the results.
Paper should be of such quality that the pen will not pick up the fiber and cause blots. The proper ruling for penmanship paper is three-eighths of an inch (26 points). Size of letters and space between letters will be more easily developed by the use of the ruling suggested than by the use of unruled paper. Only in upper grades where good work obtains should an attempt be made to use unruled paper for the writing lesson. Size of sheets for lower grades should be not more than six by eight inches. Upper grades may use a sheet eight by ten and one-half inches. Writing on thick tablets should not be permitted. Use loose sheets of paper, always having the top sheet padded by one or two extra ones beneath to save wearing the penpoint needlessly.