5-8-96 NY Times - Lost Art of Penmanship_.doc

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Penmanship: Fine Art to Lost Art

By MARY B. W. TABOR

May 8, 1996

For more than a e!ae, Mi""ie Pry"es has spent a ha"#$ho%r ea!h ay stanin& o'er se!on &raers at the

Westminster s!hoo"s in At"anta, ma(in& them tra!e an retra!e the o'a"s, "oops an h%mps that )i"" *e!ome their

!%rsi'e han)ritin&. +t is a is!ip"ine she (no)s is #ast *e!omin& a "ost art.

Both #eet on the #"oor, she te""s her -$ an 8$year$o"s. it %p strai&ht an s"ant yo%r *oo(. A#ter she e/p"ains

ho) to #orm a "etter, the !hi"ren &et to )or(. When some #a"ter, Mrs. Pry"es &%ies their hans.

+n this !omp%ter a&e, s%!h attention to the #ine points o# )ritin& has *een a"" *%t erase #rom the !o%ntry0s

!"assrooms as a re'o"%tion has o!!%rre in ho) penmanship is ta%&ht an pra!ti!e. The "essons ha'e *e!ome

sporai!. %rsi'e )ritin& is &i'in& )ay to printin&.

The e##e!t !an *e seen #rom !"assroom to *oarroom, in notes an "etters $$ that is, )hen peop"e pass %p !omp%ter

(ey*oars an )rite *y han at a"". When they o, they are #ar more "i(e"y to print, tea!hers an han)ritin&

e/perts say. onse2%ent"y, )hat *e&an as a matter o# pra!ti!a"ity has res%"te in a &raphi! &eneration &ap that is

*enin& some r%"es o# eti2%ette an p%ttin& its stamp on the mar(etp"a!e.

Both 3%ith Martin, *etter (no)n as Miss Manners, an Pe&&y Post, )ho %pates the eti2%ette *i*"e o# her &reat

&ranmother$in$"a) 4mi"y Post, sai that #orma" in'itations, than($yo% notes an !ono"en!es sho%" sti"" *e

)ritten *y han, pre#era*"y in !%rsi'e. B%t printe )ritin& has *e!ome a!!epta*"e, an !omp%ter printo%ts, Mrs.

Post sai, are *etter than no note at a"".

Miss Manners, on the other han, insiste that there are messa&es "i(e 0+ !an0t "i'e )itho%t yo%0 or 0+0'e *een

thin(in& this o'er an it rea""y isn0t )or(in&0 that m%st *e )ritten *y han, so yo% are in tro%*"e i# yo% !an0t )rite

them. Print or !%rsi'e5 B"o!( print rin&s that *e"" that this is a ransom note, so +0 a'ise !%rsi'e.

+n the mar(etp"a!e, ma(ers o# #ine stationery, "i(e rane ompany, no) are !ompetin& #or !omp%ter %sers.

rane0s re!ent"y *e&an t)o "ines o# #orma" paper that !an *e %se in "aser printers.

There0s somethin& rea""y persona" a*o%t a han)ritten note that a !omp%ter 7%st oesn0t pro7e!t, "amente 3%ith

A. o)y, a pro%!t mana&er #or rane0s, )hi!h is *ase in a"ton, Mass. B%t )e are tryin& to (eep %p )ith the

times.

Thro%&ho%t the !o%ntry, st%ents sti"" *e&in printin&, (no)n as man%s!ript )ritin&, in (iner&arten or #irst &rae.

B%t *y se!on or thir &rae it !omes time to "earn the more #orma" !%rsi'e "etterin&, an #ar #e)er s!hoo"s are

%sherin& !hi"ren thro%&h this rite o# passa&e.

+t0s one o# those thin&s yo% 7%st (in o# s2%eee in, sai Pame"a M. tan#ie", the prin!ipa" at West!hester

4"ementary !hoo" in ;ir()oo, Mo. O%r tea!hers sti"" ha'e hi&h e/pe!tations. B%t the time spent pra!ti!in&

han)ritin& has e#inite"y e!rease #rom 1< years a&o.

+nee, %n"i(e ear"ier &enerations, )hi!h %se a %ni#orm, &ra!e#%" !%rsi'e, toay0s st%ents )rite in a smor&as*or

o# sty"es, most"y print.

The !han&e has as m%!h to o )ith shi#ts in e%!ationa" theory as )ith !hi"ren0s s(i"" "e'e"s an !omp%ters.

aro"e ;enney, presient$e"e!t o# the =ationa" Asso!iation o# 4"ementary !hoo" Prin!ipa"s, sai that a"tho%&h

s!hoo"s sti"" ta%&ht han)ritin&, re&%"ar ri"" )or( )as a thin& o# the past. +t0s (in o# "i(e )e0'e e!ie there

are more important iss%es, she sai.


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Many tea!hers no) #a'or !ontent$*ase "earnin&, )hi!h means that instea o# !opyin& ro)s o# 20s, #or

e/amp"e, st%ents )rite 7o%rna" entries as a )ay o# pra!ti!in& "etters. Tea!hers a"so say ri""s o not )or( as )e""

in !"asses that !ontain !hi"ren )ith "earnin& isa*i"ities.

+n a &ro)in& n%m*er o# s!hoo"s, !omp%ter trainin& *e&ins in (iner&arten. By se!on or thir &rae, st%ents are

&ettin& on!e$a$)ee( typin& "essons, so that *y mi"e s!hoo", a &ro)in& n%m*er o# !hi"ren are as(in& to *rin&

"aptops to !"ass. An some s!hoo"s are "ettin& them.

ome tea!hers, ho)e'er, sti"" *e"ie'e istin&%ishe penmanship is not 7%st pra!ti!a", *%t an art #orm an a )ino)

into !hara!ter.

+ hate to see %s "ose the art o# the !%rsi'e, sai Mrs. Pry"es, >9, the At"anta tea!her )hose o)n !%rsi'e )ritin&

ra)s praise #rom her !o""ea&%es. + 7%st thin( it0s so *ea%ti#%".

Mi"ton Moore, a past presient o# the Ameri!an ?an)ritin& Ana"ysis Fo%nation, sai, + thin( the e!"aration

o# +nepenen!e )o%" ha'e a )ho"e ne) meanin& i# yo% 7%st printe e'eryone0s name at the *ottom.

Mr. Moore, )ho has st%ie the han)ritin& o# hi&h s!hoo" an !o""e&e st%ents, sai he ha noti!e a mar(e!han&e in penmanship.

The #orm "e'e", the rhythm an *a"an!e o# the )ritin&, is a "ot "o)er than it )as years a&o, espe!ia""y in the

*oys, he sai.

@ie)s on penmanship e%!ation ha'e #"%!t%ate )ith the times.

A#ter Wor" War ++, a p%sh #or #aster han)ritin& *ro%&ht )iesprea !%rsi'e !"asses in sty"es (no)n as Pa"mer

an aner$B"oser, *oth name #or 19th$!ent%ry master penmen )ho ta%&ht han)ritin&. The sty"es %se %pri&ht

*a""$an$sti!( "etters #or printin& an s"ante "oops, o'a"s an !%r"i!%es #or !%rsi'e. By the 19-


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3ames 3a&o, her 1C$year$o" son, is one o# these. ?e pre#ers )ritin& on the !omp%ter, he sai, *e!a%se he )o%"

rather e"ete than erase or %se )hite$o%t, an *e!a%se he "i(es %sin& i##erent #onts.

At P%*"i! !hoo" 8> on Manhattan0s Dpper West ie, R%th W. !hroeer insists that her thir an #o%rth &raers,many o# )hom are 7%st "earnin& !%rsi'e, spen at "east a #e) min%tes on!e a )ee( tra!in& the "oopy "etters.

On a re!ent mornin&, one st%ent, Li"y, 9, str%&&"e to ma(e a "o)er!ase * in her )ritin& *oo(.

%rsi'e is m%!h 2%i!(er an it "oo(s *etter, *%t +0m not 'ery &oo at it, she sai, "oo(in& o)n at her pra!ti!e

sheet. +t )o%" *e ni!e i# )e ha a "itt"e more time to o it.

Documents

5-8-96 NY Times - Lost Art of Penmanship_.doc