The Great Handwriting Debate

A Historical Look At Handwriting
Manuscript writing was brought to the United States from England in the early 1920s by Marjorie Wise, a specialist in the teaching of handwriting. Basic Manuscript caught on as an initial writing style because the letters are formed from simple strokes that are easy for young children to understand and write. The discussion of vertical vs. slanted handwriting instruction commenced in 1968, when the first slanted alphabet was created—the debate has been going ever since.
Seen as a bridge between manuscript and cursive, the slanted alphabet (D’Nealian) uses unconnected letterforms like the traditional, vertical manuscript, but its letterforms are slanted like cursive. Thus, the slanted alphabet, or italic, seems easier to write than cursive, yet is similar enough to cursive that children don’t have to learn two completely different alphabets. Using this logic seems like a good idea...but is it really?

Which Is Developmentally Appropriate?
Farris (1997) maintains, "By age 3, children produce drawings that are composed of the same basic lines that constitute vertical letters: (1) vertical lines, (2) horizontal lines, and (3) circles. Because vertical and horizontal lines are made with straight up-and-down motion, they rely predominately on already acquired gross motor skills. On the other hand, modified italic letters use very complicated strokes for young children. Graham (1992) cites that, "The writing hand has to change direction more often when writing the (slanted) alphabet, do more retracing of lines, and make more strokes that occur later in a child’s development.

Which Alphabet Is Easier To Write?
Because there are only 4 simple strokes that make up the vertical manuscript alphabet, writing letterforms is quickly mastered by young children. In contrast, italic letterforms force the child to learn 12 different strokes. The writers of the italic alphabet "produced more misshapen letters, were more likely to extend their stokes above and below the guidelines, and had greater difficulty maintaining consistency in letter size." (Graham 1992)

Which Alphabet Is Easier To Read?
Vertical manuscript letterforms are more easily read than other styles of writing. This is why highway signs and other public signs are most often printed in vertical letter styles. Newspapers, novels, textbooks, computers, and television also make use of vertical manuscript letters because people must be able to read the messages quickly and without confusion. Advertisers and designers favor vertical manuscript and avoid slanted or italic text because italic is difficult to read. Whenever readability is important, vertical letterforms are used.
Because italic writing is more difficult to read, it interferes with comprehension and speed. In a classic study, Tinker (1955) found that italic print was read 4.2 to 6.3% more slowly than vertical print in 10 minutes of reading, and 4.9% more slowly in 30 minutes of reading. This is why most literature, especially literature for early readers, is published using vertical typeface.

Which Alphabet Is More Easily Integrated?
Handwriting is not an isolated part of the language arts curriculum. Young children who are learning to write are also learning to read and spell. Modified italic letterforms are not consistent with the letters used in reading and spelling books; therefore, children must learn to write using one set of symbols and to read and spell using a different set of symbols.
Kuhl & Dewitz (1994) found that letter symbols are learned upon repeated exposure to predictable, distinctive, and constant features. In other words, children experience successes when learning to read and spell in environments where the features (shape, angle, etc.) of the letters they are learning do not change significantly from one situation to another. As children learn to write using the italic D’Nealian manuscript, they are also reading traditional manuscript letterforms in books and environmental print. The difference in the letterforms between what they are learning to read and what they are learning to write is often substantial, causing great confusion for some children. Children who learn to write using vertical manuscript avoid this confusion. They are learning to read, write and spell based on the same, constant model which is more logical.

Does Italic Manuscript Help With Students’ Transition To Cursive?
Proponents of modified italic letterforms say that initial instruction in their alphabets will facilitate the transition from manuscript to cursive writing, but there is no research available to support this claim. In fact, in an extensive study of the available research, Graham (1992) finds not evidence substantiating claims that using an italic manuscript alphabet enhances the transition to writing in cursive.

Handwriting Research and Resources: A Guide to Curriculum Planning. Zaner-Bloser, Inc. Summarized by Julie Lay.