Ornamental Penmanship Links & Lessons

      Charming and fascinating are the graceful and harmonious curves produced, when, wielded by some trained and skillful hand, the pen becomes an instrument of beauty. As by the power of speech, men may pass from the common tone of conversation up to the melodious strains of music, or may soar in flights of oratory into the sublime, until the multitude is entranced; so the capabilities of the pen are not limited to the common uses of life, but may take on forms of beauty in elegant outlines of bird, or landscape, or graceful swan or bounding stag.

From The Book of Ornamental Alphabets.

      Ornamental writing is not a practical art, and has no connection whatever with the practical business of life. It is in the realm of poetry. The imagery of graceful outlines must first be seen by a poetic imagination. While the great masses may acquire a good style of plain, practical penmanship, few have the necessary conception of mind, combined with the skill and dexterity of hand to become successful ornamental penmen.

      The ornamental pages which follow are given, not as models for imitation or practice by the learner, but merely to show the possibilities of the pen in the hand of a master, and as a fitting closing to this, our chapter on penmanship.

From "Monograms and 
Ciphers" by Turbayne.

      To any one who may have an artistic quality of mind, and delights in beautiful lines and harmonious curves, these pages of ornamental penmanship will serve as models for practice and imitation, and every attempt at such an exercise as the one on this, or the following pages, will give greater strength and freedom of movement, and better command of the pen, so that it will conduce to an easy, flowing and elegant style of plain business writing, while affording a most pleasant and profitable employment in the cultivation of the taste.

      Various beautiful designs or pictures may be made with the pen, in the hands of one that possesses the skill of a penman and the eye of an artist.

• Cursive Practice Sheets: Practice Your Penmanship: For young students
• Visit The Grimm Scriptorium for High School and Adult Leveled Lessons  
• For related art lessons for elementary students see the Alphabet Index

More Exceptional Collections of Ornamental Letters:

•  Initial Letters from British Children's Annuals
• Rise of the Living Type
• Decorative Alphabet Collection by onetwentyeight

Master Penman Michael Sull demonstrates Spencerian and Ornamental Penmanship

Ornamental Penmanship Art Lessons:

• Architectural Letters by Blick
• Complementary Color Names at Crayola
• Illuminated Letters 2012 versions
  

Hieroglyphics or Picture Writing

       As a change from ordinary letter-writing, "Hieroglyphics" are amusing and interesting to make. The best explanation is an example, such as those given below, the subject being in two versed from a favorite nursery song.

First half of "The Owl and The Pussycat" hieroglyphic.

Second half of "The Owl and The Pussycat" hieroglyphic.

The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea

In a beautiful pea-green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

Wrapped up in a five pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

And sang to a small guitar,

"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,

What a beautiful Pussy you are."

Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl,

How charmingly sweet you sing.

O let us be married, too long we have tarried;

But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

To the land where the Bong-tree grows,

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood

With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,

With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom" in My Classroom

A simple ABC craft using the popular "Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom" story by Bill Martin Jr.

      I taught this simple craft to three year olds at our school. Although our school is a private one, this would also be an easy craft to assemble and teach at a public nursery/early learning center as well. "Chick, Chicka, Boom, Boom," by Bill Martin Jr. is a very popular book in secular schools. I've listed the directions and supplies below and also have included a palm leaf pattern for those of you who would prefer that your students color their branches instead of cutting these from green construction paper.

      Cutting the palms would be an appropriate task to be included in this little lesson if it were done in a first or second grade classroom. Students in these grades should have been using scissors long enough to be able to cut curves and fringe the edges of paper without cutting them entirely off altogether. 

"Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom" cover

Craft Supplies:

• ABC stickers
• green, black and brown construction paper
• markers
• white school glue
• scissors (optional) 
• palm leaf pattern
• sandpaper (for the cocoanuts!)

Step-by-Step Directions:

1. Teachers may download and print the pattern in multiples prior to the lesson. Cut these out in advance for students who have yet to become very familiar with using scissors.
2. Cut also tree trunks from light brown construction paper and round cocoanuts from sandpaper.
3. The students should color their palm leaves first.
4. Then glue these onto their black background paper and then glue the trunk on top.
5. Then students may color their palm tree trunk.
6. Give each student a variety of alphabet and number stickers to peal and stick onto their "chicka, chicka, boom, boom" picture. The pealing of the stickers is an important manipulative skill to teach three year students. This requires young children to practise small motor skills in order to complete the task successfully. Encourage them to peal the stickers by themselves and give them lots of praise when they accomplish it on their own.

Three year old children can easily complete this little craft.

Download and enlarge these palms in a Word Doc before printing.

 More Lesson Plans, Games and Ideas for "Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom"

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom lesson from Hubbard's Cupboard
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Learning letters and sounds at a zoom!
• Free alphabet activity to accompany the "Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom book 
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom More games and a craft!
• Before the ABCs did the Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom, Carmen Miranda did the Chicka Chicka, Boom Chic! 

Create A Manuscript to Cursive Chart

      During my student teaching program, I developed several art lessons integrating cursive writing. Many of my second grade elementary students did not know how to read or write cursive because it was no longer being taught in that particular district. It was necessary for me to create a chart that students could refer to as they created picture designs with cursive letters. This chart was very large and could be easily seen from any table in my classroom. 

      The students loved learning the old form of writing and the second grade teachers were very pleased with the inclusion of the lesson in our art classroom as well. Unlike some homeroom teachers, art teachers in Missouri are free to integrate penmanship projects into their lesson plans without constraint. 

      I am of the opinion that no English speaking country should neglect teaching students to read their own language, if they can possibly help it. It is entirely irresponsible on the part of any state to exclude cursive reading and writing, even though it is not used nearly so much in our time.  For if we neglect to pass down obvious knowledge, our children will become easy to control and be easily manipulated by those who may not have their best interests at heart.
      You cannot imagine the grief that I felt, when I discovered that so many of the high school students that I taught during my student teaching program could not read any kind of text. Then after being placed into a wealthier district for elementary training, I discovered that well over half of those young students could not read or writer a cursive letter. How easy it will be to control the minds of these American students. The parents, politicians and teachers have endangered the futures of these children in my opinion. (My heart is very sad over this.)

      Illiteracy: The Downfall of American Society It is a chronic crisis of huge proportions, one that keeps millions of Americans living in the shadows.

Restored Antique Alphabet Prints

      These restored antique alphabet prints would look charming in a child's nursery/bedroom or a homeschool classroom. I've cleaned and restored them for your next alphabet craft. Enjoy and read the Terms of Use before printing them out.

The above image for pinning please.

A was and Apple, an Archer, an Arrow. B was a Bird, Bear and a Barrow.

C for Cat and D for Dish, E for an Elephant, F for a Fish.

G for Goose and Ha for Ham, I for an Inn and J for Jam.

K for Kite and L for Light. M for the Moon and N for Night. O for Owl and P for Prattle,
Q for the Queen and R for Rattle.

S for Ship and T for Tap, U for an Urn and V for Vat. W for Windmill, for Watch & Wren,
 X stands in English for no word but ten.

Y is for Yew, for Youth and for Yeast, Z is for Zebra a beautiful beast.

More Restored Alphabet Print by Kathy Grimm:

• A Bible Alphabet from Thrifty Scissors
• A Noah's Ark Alphabet at Easter Egg Crafts
• Animal Alphabet Flash Cards at The Crayon Palace

Illuminate Your Initial

Initials by English Illuminators, 12th and 13th Century.

      Art historians classify illuminated manuscripts into their historic periods and types, including (but not limited to) Late Antique, Insular, Carolingian manuscripts, Ottonian manuscripts, Romanesque manuscripts, Gothic manuscripts, and Renaissance manuscripts. There are a few examples from later periods. The type of book that was most often heavily and richly illuminated, sometimes known as a "display book", varied between periods. In the first millennium, these were most likely to be Gospel Books. The Romanesque period saw the creation of many huge illuminated complete Bibles – one in Sweden requires three librarians to lift it. Many Psalters were also heavily illuminated in both this and the Gothic period. Single cards or posters of vellum, leather or paper were in wider circulation with short stories or legends on them about the lives of saints, chivalry knights or other mythological figures, even criminal, social or miraculous occurrences; popular events much freely used by story tellers and itinerant actors to support their plays. Finally, the Book of Hours, very commonly the personal devotional book of a wealthy layperson, was often richly illuminated in the Gothic period. Other books, both liturgical and not, continued to be illuminated at all periods. The Byzantine world also continued to produce manuscripts in its own style, versions of which spread to other Orthodox and Eastern Christian areas. See Medieval art for other regions, periods and types. Reusing parchments by scraping the surface and reusing them was a common practice; the traces often left behind of the original text are known as palimpsests.

      The Muslim World and in particular the Iberian Peninsula, with their traditions of literacy uninterrupted by the Middle Ages, were instrumental in delivering ancient classic works to the growing intellectual circles and universities of Western Europe all through the 1100s, as books were produced there in large numbers and on paper for the first time in Europe, and with them full treatises on the sciences, especially astrology and medicine where illumination was required to have profuse and accurate representations with the text.

      The Gothic period, which generally saw an increase in the production of these beautiful artifacts, also saw more secular works such as chronicles and works of literature illuminated. Wealthy people began to build up personal libraries; Philip the Bold probably had the largest personal library of his time in the mid-15th century, is estimated to have had about 600 illuminated manuscripts, whilst a number of his friends and relations had several dozen.

Initial letters from French manuscript, 15 Century.

      Up to the twelfth century, most manuscripts were produced in monasteries in order to add to the library or after receiving a commission from a wealthy patron. Larger monasteries often contained separate areas for the monks who specialized in the production of manuscripts called a scriptorium. Within the walls of a scriptorium were individualized areas where a monk could sit and work on a manuscript without being disturbed by his fellow brethren. If no scriptorium was available, then “separate little rooms were assigned to book copying; they were situated in such a way that each scribe had to himself a window open to the cloister walk.” The separation of these monks from the rest of the cloister indicates just how revered these monks were within their society.

      By the fourteenth century, the cloisters of monks writing in the scriptorium had almost fully given way to commercial urban scriptoria, especially in Paris, Rome and the Netherlands. While the process of creating an illuminated manuscript did not change, the move from monasteries to commercial settings was a radical step. Demand for manuscripts grew to an extent that the Monastic libraries were unable to meet with the demand, and began employing secular scribes and illuminators. These individuals often lived close to the monastery and, in certain instances, dressed as monks whenever they entered the monastery, but were allowed to leave at the end of the day. In reality, illuminators were often well known and acclaimed and many of their identities have survived.

      First, the manuscript was “sent to the rubricator, who added (in red or other colors) the titles, headlines, the initials of chapters and sections, the notes and so on; and then – if the book was to be illustrated – it was sent to the illuminator.” In the case of manuscripts that were sold commercially, the writing would “undoubtedly have been discussed initially between the patron and the scribe (or the scribe’s agent,) but by the time that the written gathering were sent off to the illuminator there was no longer any scope for innovation.”

Practice coloring this large illuminated "M" from the 12th Century. Use a variety of ink pens, gel pens and metallic inks to decorate the narrow, delicate design work.

Have young students draw a large grid and then fill in each square space with one of their initials. Then encourage them to decorate each similar square with a repeating pattern. In this lesson they can learn about patterns, symbols, shapes, color and division.

 View Illuminated Manuscripts:

• Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts Digitized illuminated manuscripts from the Dutch Royal Library
• Museum of the Book, The Hague. Thematic introduction, with many examples illustrated
• Project from Cambridge University – colored numbers are links to good images from various collections; good for finding images of specific subjects quickly
• Illuminated Manuscripts in the J. Paul Getty Museum – Los Angeles
• Portal to manuscripts in French public collections huge databases, in French
• Illuminating the Manuscript Leaves Digitized illuminated manuscripts from the University of Louisville Libraries
• [1] Digitized illuminated manuscript from Kathrine Zipista
• Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, including lavishly decorated Books of Hours, Vulgates, and Medicinal Texts, 12 - 17th century, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Libraries
• Illuminated Manuscripts digital collection from the Ball State University Digital Media Repository

Illuminated Manuscript Resource Online:

• Digital Scriptorium
• British Library, catalogue of illuminated manuscripts
• Collection of illuminated manuscripts. From the Koninklijke Bibliotheek and Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum in The Hague.
• On-line demonstration of the production of an illuminated manuscript from the Fitzwilliam, Cambridge
• On-line demonstration of the production of an illuminated manuscript from the BNF, Paris. Text in French, but mostly visual.
• Nancy Ross, Resources for English Illuminated Manuscripts.
• British Library, Glossary of Manuscript Terms, adapted from Michelle Brown, Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms (1994), ISBN 0-89236-217-0
• Herbert, J. A. (1911), Illuminated Manuscripts, online book.
• Illuminated Manuscripts', Book by John W. Bradley, from Project Gutenberg
• CORSAIR. Thousands of digital images from the Morgan Library's renowned collection of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts
•  "Illuminated Manuscripts". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
• Diringer, David. The Book Before Printing: Ancient, Medieval and Oriental. New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 1982. Print.
• Lessons in the Art of Illuminating, by W. J. Loftie
• Greenia, George D. "The Politics of Piety: Manuscript Illumination and Narration in the Cantigas of De Santa Maria." Hispanic Review 61.3 (1993): 325–44. JSTOR. Web. 17 Apr. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/475069>. 

 Modern Illuminated Manuscripts:

• The Saint John's Bible: an illuminated Bible project
• Ellen Frank Illumination Arts Foundation: the art of illumination
• Illumination Documentary produced by Full Focus About St John’s Abby Illuminated Bible Project

Alien Name Cursive Exercise

      Cursive, also known as script, joined-up writing, joint writing, running writing, or handwriting is any style of penmanship in which the symbols of the language are written in a conjoined and/or flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster. However, not all cursive copybooks join all letters. Formal cursive is generally joined, but casual cursive is a combination of joins and pen lifts. In the Arabic, Latin, and Cyrillic alphabets, many or all letters in a word are connected, sometimes making a word one single complex stroke.

      While the terms cursive or script are popular in the United States for describing this style of writing the Latin script, this term is rarely used elsewhere. Joined-up writing is more popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. The term handwriting is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

      Cursive is considered distinct from printscript, in which the letters of a word are unconnected and in Roman/Gothic letterform rather than joined-up script. Printscript is also commonly called "manuscript", "block letter", "print writing", "block writing" (and sometimes simply "print" which confusingly also refers to mechanical printing).

      A distinction is also made between cursive and "italic" penmanship, in which some ascenders and descenders of cursive have loops which provide for joins and italic which is derived from chancery cursive, which mostly uses non-looped joins or no joins. There are no joins from g, j, q or y, and a few other joins are discouraged. Italic penmanship became popular in the 15th century Italian Renaissance. The term "italic" as it relates to handwriting is not to be confused with typed letters that slant forward. Many, but not all letters in the handwriting of the Renaissance were joined, as they are today in italic.

      In Hebrew cursive and Roman cursive, the letters are not connected. In the research domain of handwriting recognition, this writing style is called connected cursive, to indicate the difference between the phenomenon of italic and sloppy appearance of individual letters (cursive) and the phenomenon of connecting strokes between letters, i. e., a letter-to-letter transition without a pen lift (connected cursive).

      The origin of the cursive method is associated with practical advantages of writing speed and infrequent pen lifting to accommodate the limitations of the quill. Quills are fragile, easily broken, and will spatter unless used properly. Steel dip pens followed quills; they were sturdier, but still had some limitations. The individuality of the provenance of a document was a factor also, as opposed to machine font.

      In the following exercise, students write their first or middle names in cursive across a folded 8 1/2 x 11inch, white piece of typing paper. They may use a pencil to start with and then trace over their name with a black marker. Then allow them to turn their paper over and trace their cursive name on the back side of the folded paper in order to shape an "alien" outline. They will need to do this tracing either on a light table or a window. Students may then spin their names around and decide which vertical application will look best as an alien.

The names, Natalie and Hannah written in cursive.

The finished aliens found in the girls' names. Add fins, tails, teeth, antenna, and giant eyeballs to decorate your cursive alien names.

More Alien Name Art Lessons:

• Name aliens from We Heart Art
• 4th Grade Symmetrical Name Designs
• Cursive Cut-outs
• Name Aliens... Bugs... Whatever!
• Alien Names from Art Projects for Kids
• Monsters and Aliens
• Aliens! Name Aliens!

What's In a Name?

      A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name (surname). A given name is purposefully given, usually by a child's parents at or near birth, in contrast to an inherited one such as a family name. A given name is sometimes legally changed through a name change.

      Given names are often used in a familiar and friendly manner in informal situations. In more formal situations the surname is used instead, unless it is necessary to distinguish between people with the same surname. The idiom "on a first-name basis" (or "on first-name terms") alludes to the familiarity of addressing another by a given name.

      The western style of having both a family name (surname) and a given name is far from universal. In many countries it is common for ordinary people to have only one name (a mononym).

      In most European (and Europe-derived) cultures, the given name usually comes before the family name (though generally not in lists and catalogs), and so is known as a forename or first name; but the family name traditionally comes first in Hungary, parts of Africa and most of East Asia (e.g., China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam). In China and Korea, even part of the given name may be shared among all members of a given generation in a family and the family's extensions, to differentiate those generations from other generations.

      Under the common Western naming convention, people generally have one or more forenames (either given or acquired). If more than one, there is usually a main forename (for everyday use) and one or more supplementary forenames; but sometimes two or more carry equal weight. Beyond preceding the surname there is no particular ordering rule for forenames. Often the main forename is at the beginning, resulting in a first name and one or more middle names, but other arrangements are quite common.

      The term Christian name is often used as a general synonym for given name. Strictly speaking, the term applies to a name formally given to a child at an infant baptism or "christening".
       I've included below a handful of decorated names by young students in the school where I work. An introduction to illuminated manuscripts usually proceeds this kind of an art project. These decorated names were drawn by second graders.

Addie.

Alexis.

Leo.

Olivia.

Carlos.

Sarah.

Aetani.

Erica.

Riley.

Losan.

Atharv.

Bronte.

The Alphabet 100 Ways

1. Search my pinboard - "Alphabet Themes for Early Learning Centers" if you are looking for teaching the ABC's to young children
2. Papercraft alphabet
3. Creative Exercise: Make a Zentangle Inspirational Text
4. Michael Draws 3D Block Letters in one point perspective by www.drawingteachers.com
5. Max and Gaby's Alphabet, By tony fitzpatrick
6. Graffiti Diplomacy
7. DKDrawing Graffiti "Daniel
8. Alphabet100 by Christopher Rouleau
9. Draw Autobiography Maps by Ms Lopez
10. Lessons in Calligraphy and Penmanship
11. An Interview With Timothy R. Botts
12. monochromatic, complementary and analogous letters by James Hallam
13. Comic Book Art...cont. at Splish Splash Splatter
14. Sesame Street Song by Patti Labelle and Abc Hip Hop With Miles
15. alphabets from Sue Doodles
16. Word Animals from themetapicture.com
17. Jasper Johns Style Painting from Denver 6-12
18. Alphabet Activity by FrecklePhoto
19. LOVE in watercolor
20. Calligraphy Blackletter by Ted Mayhall
21. Graffiti from schooart.weebly.com
22. Positive Negative Space Mash-Up: Warm and Cool Colors
23. The online graffiti creator
24. LOVEHATE print
25. very cute monster letters
26. Personalized Name Art
27. 15 Creative Typography Art Designs 
28. The Saint John's Bible and A Modern Vision through Medieval Methods
29. Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?
30. Alphabet from artnau
31. Name Tangles from The Bees Knees Cousin
32. Our Wish for the World
33. 22 of the world's most creative alphabets and the updated version here
34. Word Foto App Art
35. A chalkboard cover tutorial from Julie Fei-Fan
36. Identity
37. Abstract Name Designs - Finished!
38. DIY Photo Name Art
39. Educational Leadership
40. Doodle Letters by Laura Stoner
41. Photoshop CS4: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words
42. Yeah No Yeah artwork by Grace Bonney
43. nature themed alphabet blocks and Unusual Alphabet Blocks
44. Graffiti Coloring Book by Uzi Wufc
45. by Reuben Miller
46. Color the Animal Alphabet
47. Contour Lettering by Inky Alchemy
48. Micrography Portraits from Mr. E.
49. LOVE quilt by Quiltycat
50. How to Make an Acrostic Book
51. Tangled letters by students (in black and white) 
52. 6 Great ABC Books
53. Cursive Alphabet Print by Rachel Gilbert-Cornish
54. Optical Illusion Mazes Using Letters
55. paper + typography
56. time flies
57. Literal Art Papercuts 
58. scribblers Calligraphy School
59. Chinese Calligraphy
60. Name Art at Artisan des Arts
61. Mr. Moon Shining Bright Won't You Be My Muse Tonight...M is for Moon!
62. A new perspective from ms art
63. typo/graphic posters by daren newman
64. Name Inside A Box
65. Draw Ribbon Letters by Mr. MintArt
66. Traditional Hebrew calligraphy swirls into cutting-edge font
67. Name Skeletons
68. Alphabet Letters Cursive Font Print by hatam
69. Keynote from US Calligraphy Conference 2012
70. Betsy Bowen Studio
71. Onomatopoeia art
72. How to do Custom Lettering Without a Fancy Machine
73. The ABC's of Block Printing
74. Personality Swirls
75. Cross by Lisa Schulist
76. Name Painting at Beijing China
77. Wonky ABC I-Spy Quilt
78. Amazing Art Alphabet
79. Antique Samplers
80. We Love Typography
81. Illuminated Text Design (metallic paints on aluminum foil)
82. wooden letter scrabble tiles
83. Me and Mattisse
84. Mary Kate McDevitt does hand lettering
85. Poppy print by Martha Lever
86. alphabet wall
87. Back to School with Briana Johnson 
88. Hudson King 
89. How to Apply Gold Leaf
90. Modern Alphabet Art
91. Alphabet Posters
92. Initial Designs
93. How to Draw Graffiti Names
94. The Alphabet Shelf by Lincoln Kayiwa
95. Printable 3D Font
96. Ideas from Diane Powers
97. Lettering from AP students
98. Entwined
99. Ketubah Artists
100. cursive alphabet table
101. Alphabet Freaks

More Related Content:

• A Terrible, Horrible Cursive Exercise by Kathy Grimm
• Graphic Graffiti Lesson Plan for Teens by Kathy Grimm
• What's In a Name?

 "How to Draw Graffiti Letters - Write Jacob in Cool Letters - Name Art, Cool letters, Jacob" 

A Terrible Horrible Cursive Exercise

      This cursive exercise demonstrates just "how" teachers may integrate a
reading exercise with a penmanship project. Students can draw a picture of
themselves having a terrible, horrible face and then practice cursive letter
patterns over and over around their aching heads! Oh, how horrible! This
repetitive drawing helps develop motor coordination, pattern making, and
includes kinesthetic learning too!

     Cursive, also known as script, joined-up writing, joint writing, linking, running writing, or handwriting is any style of penmanship in which the symbols of the language are written in a conjoined and/or flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster. However, not all cursive copybooks join all letters. Formal cursive is generally joined, but casual cursive is a combination of joins and pen lifts. In the Arabic, Latin, and Cyrillic alphabets, many or all letters in a word are connected, sometimes making a word one single complex stroke.

      While the terms cursive or script are popular in the United States for describing this style of writing the Latin script, this term is rarely used elsewhere. Joined-up writing is more popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, and linking is more popular in New Zealand. The term handwriting is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

      Cursive is considered distinct from printscript, in which the letters of a word are unconnected and in Roman/Gothic letterform rather than joined-up script. Printscript is also commonly called "manuscript", "block letter", "print writing", "block writing" (and sometimes simply "print" which confusingly also refers to mechanical printing).

      A distinction is also made between cursive and "italic" penmanship, in which some ascenders and descenders of cursive have loops which provide for joins and italic which is derived from chancery cursive, which mostly uses non-looped joins or no joins. There are no joins from g, j, q or y, and a few other joins are discouraged. Italic penmanship became popular in the 15th century Italian Renaissance. The term "italic" as it relates to handwriting is not to be confused with typed letters that slant forward. Many, but not all letters in the handwriting of the Renaissance were joined, as they are today in italic.

      In Hebrew cursive and Roman cursive, the letters are not connected. In the research domain of handwriting recognition, this writing style is called connected cursive, to indicate the difference between the phenomenon of italic and sloppy appearance of individual letters (cursive) and the phenomenon of connecting strokes between letters, i. e., a letter-to-letter transition without a pen lift (connected cursive).

      The origin of the cursive method is associated with practical advantages of writing speed and infrequent pen lifting to accommodate the limitations of the quill. Quills are fragile, easily broken, and will spatter unless used properly. Steel dip pens followed quills; they were sturdier, but still had some limitations. The individuality of the provenance of a document was a factor also, as opposed to machine font.
      Locating projects and ideas in teacher's manuals about the instruction of cursive or penmanship is becoming a thing of the past. However, with a little ingenuity one can develop some very diverting ideas that promote the teaching of the subject on the internet. I will include in this journal a collection of ideas and original projects that I will design to promote the teaching of cursive writing.

"Renowned author Judith Viorst reads her beloved children's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC, as part of Bookmarked 2010! a celebration of reading with children, produced by the Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood. For more information about Bookmarked! visit www.lucysbookclub.org."