“‘Penmanship is dying out!’ is a common lament of parents, educators, and even pencil salesmen.” Would it surprise you to learn that this quotation is from an interview in Time Magazine April 15, 1935? The 1940s and 50s seemingly confirmed the demise of handwriting, as parents held revolts against local school districts for phasing out cursive until the 1980s when an epidemic of illegibility was declared. Sound familiar?
ſome History
Our January unit study is a celebration of the pen and penmanship! Established in 1977, National Handwriting day was created by the Writing Instruction Manufacturers Association to acknowledge the history and influence of penmanship. Inspired by our nation’s 200th birthday the preceding year, they chose the probable birthdate of John Hancock. With your children, read more about this man who dedicated his life to family, friends and country. If your children have never seen a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence, together view this image from Monticello.org. At first glance, what is their impression of the document? Encourage older children to read through the document. Invite younger and older children to focus on line 3: “We hold these truths to be ſelf-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happineſs.” Reassure them that the word happiness is not misspelled in one of our nation’s founding documents. Resembling our modern “f”, this curious letter was an archaic form of the lower-case letter s, and replaced a single s, or the first in a double s, at the beginning or in the middle of a word (for example: “ſelf-evident” for “self-evident” and “happinefs” for “happiness”). Falling out of use in professional printing by the mid-19th century, it is found in handwriting until the late nineteenth century. It has been said that Benjamin Franklin complained about this transition in a letter to Noah Webster in 1789, “Certainly omitting the prominent letter makes the line appear more even; but renders it less immediately legible.” Learn more about the archaic long s here. Before we leave our look at the Declaration of Independence, ask your children to consider the impact of the words penned on our founding as a nation and our nation today. If your children have not yet been introduced to the Declaration of Independence, consult Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for a summary.
Make an Impact
Writing’s impact and influence is not exclusive to great documents or literary works. Regardless of our age, the words we write have an influence on the reader. Ask your children if they have ever received a letter or a hand-written card. How did it make them feel to read the words that were penned just for them? Most of us can relate to the general sense of wellbeing and encouraged spirit when receiving personal correspondence. Handwritten letters create lasting memories for the sender and reader alike. This is a perfect time to establish the habit of letter writing in your children (and reestablish the personal habit if it has drifted from you in the business of life). Since we are just a few weeks past Christmas celebrations, pull out notecards and pencils or pens and write a thank you note to gift givers! Not sure where to start with writing a Thank You note? Emily Post has helpful insights for preschool age through the teen years. Grandparents or other relatives cherish these handwritten notes! The writing of thank you notes is sadly becoming a lost art. Developing this skill into adulthood will set our children apart as they reach out with a kind word to employers or influencers in their lives. Another excellent opportunity for handwriting is creating Valentine Day Cards. Typically, we associate these cards with an art project (a worthwhile activity!). Have your children handwrite a brief note or poem on each card to share a special thought or memory with the receiver. Looking for other writing ideas? Check out the Writing Instruction Manufactures Association teacher page!
Penmanship
Penmanship is integral to influential writing. Regardless of the handwriting style you chose for print or cursive, encourage children to strive for neatness. There are multiple resources (see our Handwriting Comparison Chart) available for teaching and practicing handwriting. When my children were younger, copywork was a daily practice. Bible verses, paragraphs from read-aloud time, and poetry were favorites. One year, we also focused on writing George Washington’s Rules of Civility. These rules focus on respect of self and others and were based upon the writings found in a French Etiquette manual authored by Jesuits in 1595. Older children may enjoy learning Calligraphy. Check out this You-Tube video for a fun overview. If your children show a flair for calligraphy, check out the abundance of resources available to inspire their journey.
Choose Your Tool
Our study is incomplete without a quick look at popular writing utensils. Depending on the age of your children, they will be most familiar with either a pen or pencil. Let’s start with the pencil. Ask your children to grab their favorite pencil. Before we start, show them a picture of the oldest pencil known today. How does it compare to their pencil? Just for fun, check out the world’s biggest pencil. If you lay this nearly 65 foot long pencil on the ground, it would be longer than a semi-tractor trailer or 3x taller than a giraffe! From its humble beginnings, worldwide production of the pencil now tops 14 billion! The History Channel has an informative video clip available that shows how a pencil is made. Not to be ignored, the Science channel offers an equally enlightening video clip. As mesmerizing as the changes of the pencil are, the greatest metamorphosis occurred in the history of the pen. Today’s pens (such as the erasable gel pen), are much different than their ancestors. According to the Guinness World Records, the most popular pen is Bic’s disposable ball-point pen, which reached 100 billion sold in September 2006! Learn more about the history of the ballpoint pen and the role of Marcel Bich (inventor).
Regardless of the writing tools utilized, it is my hope that you and your children are inspired to develop a lifestyle of personal writing! Thank you notes, pen-pals, journals and diaries…the sky is the limit!
