This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

In My Opinion

Steve Graham

Steve Graham, a professor of education at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, conducts research on writing instruction and development. He believes that good penmanship sets the foundation for strong writing.

George Washington, our country's first President, practiced his penmanship diligently as a boy. He carefully copied 110 sayings on how to behave, known as The Rules of Civility, in order to fine-tune his script. Kids today might argue that had Washington owned a computer, he wouldn't have spent his time mastering neat handwriting.

Maybe not. But research shows that practicing handwriting does more than produce a pretty paper. Although he may not have known it, Washington was improving his writing skills. You can improve your writing skills too! I have found that students who study handwriting for 45 minutes each week are able to improve how fast they write, how much they write and how well they write.

How does practicing penmanship make you a better writer? By not letting penmanship get in your way. When you are not adept at handwriting, you expend energy on the mechanics. This interferes with the creative flow of ideas. Once you've mastered the pen (or pencil), you can spend all your energy on making your ideas clear.

And don't underestimate the value of neatness. Throughout your education, you will be asked to write your answers on standardized tests. If test graders cannot read your responses, you may not get full credit. If you cannot write quickly, you may not have enough time to answer all of the questions.

Follow Washington's lead and practice your handwriting. Make sure that all of your lowercase letters are the same size. Learn to make all letters correctly and quickly. Be sure that your writing is dark enough. Write on a straight line.

You don't have to trade in your computer for a pencil. But if you use a pencil, you will sharpen the way you express your ideas. So, write on!

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