The Educator (Volume 45) - IAMPETH

12
Perceptual Learning of Letter Formation
In diagnosing the defects in specimens
of handwriting letter formation
is often found to be a cause of deficiency.
Likewise, letter formation
seems to involve other handwriting
-characteristics such as slant, alignment,
and spacing. Many times in
scoring letter formation receives double
the rating as do other qualities.
Instruction in penmanship and remedial
handwriting must both include
a treatment of letter formation.
Psychologists, as well as penmanship
specialists, recommend that visualization
be employed as a basis for
teaching letter formation. Wheat
from the psychological point of viewpresents
the following explanation.
Learning to write is the gradual
adaptation of the handwriting
movement to a gradually developing
perception of form. One
finds, moreover, that out of the
development of perception comes
quality of product, and that the
relation between speed and quality
of handwriting may be distinguished
in the relation which
exists between the adaptation of
the movement and the development
of perception. . . .1
Dr. Frank N. Freeman contends
that one of the causes for poor letter
formation is that the pupil fails to get
By Dorothy Leggitt, Wydown School,
Clayton, Missouri
a clear idea of the letter.- The role
visualization plays is well expressed
by Fred C. Ayer: "Most handwriting
systems make considerable use of the
device of visualization, by virtue of
which pupils attempt to reproduce
writing from memory. "3
This theory of visualization of letter
formation results in unique teaching
of handwriting.
Writing is no longer presented
through the teaching of many
principles formerly used, but
through a letter, a group of letters,
or a word as a unity, with
occasional reference to the
straight line, the left and right
curves as elements.
All letters of the alphabet are
developed from the oval and
straight line drills or from a
modified form of either one or a
combination of the two. By
dividing an oval with the oblique
straight line, we have the right
curve and the left curve. These
elements may be taught to good
.••
advantage. . .
Similar descriptions of parts of letters
appear in other penmanship lesson
units' and become a part of supervisory
recommendations and of remedial
procedures.*
Listed among hindrances to hand-
r
/ / / .^
^ /,/ t ' *
writing instruction are (1) lack of
natural interest by pupils and (2)
lack of devices and artificial incentives
to progress.' In acceptance of
such a challenge a perceptual learning
penmanship test has been devised
and found successful.* This test and
its administration also meet the requirement
for stressing learning of
letter formation through perception
of form.
'Harry Giove Wheat. The Psychology of
Elementary School Subjects. New York: Silver.
Burdett and Company, 1931. P. 261.
-Frank N. Freeman. Correlated Handwriting.
Junior High School Manual. Columbus.
Ohio: Zaner-Bloser Co.. 1932.
'Fred C. Ayer. "The Attainment of Objectives
in HandwritinK." Elementary School
Journal. XXVIII (Sept.. 19271. 50-1.
'A. N. Palmer Company, Palmer Method
Handwriting, Teacher's Manual. New York
The A. N. Palmer Co.. 1932. P. 63.
Ellen C. Nystrom, Self-Corrective Handwriting
Charts. Minneapolis, Minne?^ota:
Ellen C. Ny.strom for the Board of Education,
1927. Lesson X.
^'Lucretia Cavanah and Alonzo F. Myers.
Diagnostic, Individual, Remedial Unit. New
York : American Book Company, 1937. Pp.
34-43.
Paul V. West. Changing Practice in Handwriting
Instruction. Bloomington. Illinois:
Public School Publishing Company. 1927.
"Experiment carried on in ninth grade at
Wydown School. Clayton, Missouri, by Dorothy
Leggitt.
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