Logic of English Handwriting Fonts for Cursive and Manuscript

Logic of English has developed a style of handwriting that is developmentally appropriate for young students and to aid students who struggle with handwriting, and we have had a custom font developed to match our requirements.

Each letter is designed to require a minimal amount of fine motor skill, with attention to developing rhythmic handwriting.

In developing Logic of English curriculum we knew that models for handwriting would be important for struggling students. Since we are convinced that cursive is the best way to teach handwriting we began our search for a cursive font to use in our program.

Beginning with Cursive

As a culture we have been mistakenly led to believe that manuscript is easier for students to learn than cursive. By reserving cursive for third grade we have given a whole generation the false impression that cursive is the “adult” form of handwriting and printing is simpler. However, this is simply not the case.

At Pedia Learning Inc. we strongly recommend beginning with cursive. Cursive has six primary advantages over manuscript:

1. It is less fine-motor skill intensive.
2. All the lowercase letters begin in the same place on the baseline.
3. Spacing within and between words is controlled.
4. By lifting the pencil between words, the beginning and ending of words is emphasized.
5. It is difficult to reverse letters such as b’s and d’s.
6. The muscle memory that is mastered first will last a lifetime.

This is a wonderful article on why to begin by teaching cursive first. As shown in the article, cursive is the ideal form of handwriting for young students. It is always exciting to find articles which demonstrate the importance of teaching handwriting beginning with cursive.

From the Suzuki School - Cursive vs. Manuscript: Why Learning Cursive First Benefits Early Readers and Writers

Our new open type cursive font is almost ready! This cursive handwriting font is the best in its class. Each letter connects beautifully as it is typed. Styles with top and bottom guides, with a mid-line, without guides, with arrows, and bold are included. David Occhino Design has worked with us to create a set of characters that follow the recommendations specific to our new Cursive Handwriting program. The font will be available in our store for $30.

Each lowercase letter begins on the baseline. Only capitals that end on the baseline connect to the next letter within the word. Capitals follow a traditional cursive with a few modifications to simplify strokes and increase legibility.

A sample PDF file of the new cursive font is here.

I know I am fighting an uphill battle when I tell teachers and parents to teach cursive first. A recent article in ABC news states that 41 states have adopted standards which do not require cursive. This is contrary, though, to what we know about the importance of teaching handwriting. To learn more about why to teach cursive first see my article Beginning with Cursive.

New studies have linked handwriting with stronger letter recognition and reading development. Since the advent of the computer, people have been arguing that handwriting should play a less central role in education since most communication will occur through keyboarding. This argument though is not supported by recent studies by Associate professor Anne Mangen at the University of Stavanger’s Reading Centre and neurophysiologist Jean-Luc Velay at the University of Marseille. By examining the research, they have confirmed that learning handwriting plays a significant role in learning to read.

At Pedia Learning we strongly recommend beginning with cursive. Cursive has six primary advantages over print:

1. It is less fine motor skill intensive.
2. All the lowercase letters begin in one place, on the baseline.
3. Spacing within and between words is controlled.
4. By lifting the pencil between words, the beginning and ending of words is emphasized.
5. It is difficult to reverse letters such as b’s and d’s.
6. The muscle memory that is mastered first will last a lifetime.

My eight-year-old daughter Hannah wrote the following essay for a contest. The contest asked students to provide advice to homeschool moms based upon what their moms did well. I thought educators would find her thoughts on reading and spelling education interesting. It certainly encouraged me!

I like home schooling because there are a lot of opportunities and sports. I think you should let your kids be in sports. Being in gymnastics helps me so that I don’t have as much energy and I can focus and get my school done faster. When I come home I practice more gymnastics, handstands, and other skills. 

I like home schooling also because I can be by my family and we can play games together a lot more. Also there are no other people around me when I do school. This helps me because then I cannot be distracted by other people. I also like home schooling because I can ask questions whenever I want.