Student Body:  Kindergarten through fifth grade

Rationale:  Our goal is to create fluent writers who can express themselves well because their handwriting has become automatic to them. Handwriting is a skill de-emphasized in current years due to ever increasing pressure in the literacy skills content area.  Then why still teach it?

• Students still need to know how to write by hand. There are times when this is unavoidable.
• Good handwriting makes a good impression. Test evaluators’ score higher on neat, legible papers.
• Teaching handwriting boosts proficiency. As handwriting, spelling, and grammar become more automatic, students can concentrate on content.
• Illegible handwriting wastes time and money.

Expectations:

• All children will receive handwriting instruction in all elementary grade levels using the Zaner-Bloser method of instruction.
• Consumable handwriting workbooks will be purchased for all students in grades one through five.
• Teachers will begin cursive instruction in grade three.
• Teachers in grades 4/5 will provide direct handwriting instruction.
• Teachers in grades four and five will expect cursive handwriting on all assignments unless otherwise instructed. Cursive should be the expected form of writing in grades four, and five.