The Effects of Italic Handwriting on Legibility

Abstract

The Italic Handwriting Series emphasizes a continuous flow in handwriting development and instruction, and is designed to allow a more natural transition from print to cursive. Italic handwriting was first implemented in Portland Public Schools during the 1983-84 school year at grade K-4, with an additional grade-level implementation during successive years. A concurrent three-year evaluation study examined the effects of italic handwriting instruction upon students’ handwriting legibility. During the first year, legibility ratings declined from fall to spring. During the second and third years, ratings typically increase from fall to spring, but when the ratings were examined across all three years of italic implementation, a pattern of overall decline emerged. Because many student papers were written in a non-italic cursive, the entire sample was separated into italic and non-italic categories. Even though italic papers received significantly higher ratings, legibility ratings declined over time. While teachers’ impressions of the italic program are generally favorable, primary teachers typically respond more positively about italic than do intermediate-grade teachers.