Penmanship: Teaching and Supervision

by Leta Severance Hiles

In suggesting this plan no endeavor has been made to be definite, except in a few essentials. Writing texts and conditions in schools differ so greatly that this would be impossible. An effort has been made to build up from the first grade to the last a general plan of a logical character. Many suggestions made for the second and third grades could wisely be put into operation, in part, in the higher grades. It is assumed first that the muscular movement method has been adopted and that each child has the use of a manual, since that is the only condition under which an adaptation of these suggestions would be advisable. This bird’s eye view of the subject is not to be considered in any respect a “system” of writing, in text book phraseology.

It will be impossible to advantageously adapt the suggested plan unless a comprehensive knowledge of muscular movement has already been gained through actual practice on the part of the teacher.

FIRST GRADE

Child nature is spontaneous, active, restless. It prefers objects to subjects, expression to repression and generality to detail. Writing is a slow and laborious method of expression compared to speech, and therefore not well suited to childhood. More oral, and less written language should be given primary grades. But so long as writing seems a necessary part of primary education, it should be taught in the most rational manner. To do this, it is necessary to consider the child, its capacity to acquire knowledge and skill, and its future welfare, as concerns health and handwriting.

One very noticeable feature about the activity of childhood is the exercise of the larger muscles which it invariably involves. The movements are of the whole body, and not of mere portions of it. The fundamental muscles and not the delicate and finely coordinated muscles are employed in all their movements. Such muscles (the accessory) as are engaged in fine writing, drawing and sewing are developed later. Especially is this true of the muscles of the eye. Ignorance of these facts has led to mistakes in training.

The wise teacher will not compel or permit young pupils to follow a fine copy in writing, but will encourage them to use the blackboard where abundant opportunity will be given for exercising the larger muscles. Proper regard for the future usefulness of the eyes of the child certainly requires that a departure be made from the method now prevalent of requiring so much written work.

Childhood has been called the language period par excellence, but this statement has reference to oral and not written forms of speech. Every teacher knows how easily and rapidly the child gains a vocabulary at this stage. He learns language by imitation, and the whole epoch of childhood is, as psychology teaches, and William Wordsworth expresses it, “one endless imitation.” It therefore behooves the teacher to neglect, if anything, reading and writing during the early stage of childhood, and make play and story telling the predominant work in the years preceding eight.

One of the most difficult as well as one of the most interesting problems that confronts every first grade teacher is what and how much of writing we shall do in the first year. Shall we use all our time teaching form? Shall we teach movement work entirely and let form alone? Or shall we try a combination of both?

It is unfortunate that many of the courses of study which we must follow state specifically that when the pupils leave the first grade they must be able to write all the small letters, capital letters, words and sentences on paper. Some courses demand that pupils must do a certain amount of copying. This is very unfortunate, because in trying to fulfill the requirements of such a course of study any means available are often resorted to and frequently the methods used are a great hindrance to the future development of the child, both physically and mentally.

The following suggestions are offered first grade teachers: