Handwriting

Goals:  to practice handwriting with slate and slate pencil, to learn the importance of good handwriting a century ago, to practice writing words from specific letter choices.

Materials:

• slate
• slate pencil
• eraser rag
• chalkboard and chalk

Procedures:

• Explain the importance of good handwriting in an age without computers. Explain how good handwriting (or penmanship) was required for many jobs, including secretarial and bookkeeping positions. It often was the key to employment.
• Have children clear desk of everything except the slate, slate pencil and eraser rag.
• Instruct children that they will need five lines of writing on one side of the slate.
• For line one, make a continuous line of short loops. This is the cursive letter e. (Demonstrate on chalkboard.)
• For line two, make a continuous line of tall loops. This is the cursive letter l.
• For line three, make a continuous line like tiny corn stalks growing early in the season. Dot the top of each stalk. This is the cursive letter i.
• For line four, make a continuous line of taller cornstalks. Cross each one close to the top. This is the cursive letter t.
• Finally write on the last line as many words as you can that are spelled with only these letters.

Recitations and Evaluations:

• What words have you written? Can you spell them for me?
• Have adult volunteers or "older scholars" check slates for correctness.

(Thanks to Ann Werhane for ideas for this lesson.)

Illinois Learning Standards 3.1.A

Continue to the language lesson.
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