What do you think about Italic Handwriting?

[nitascool]

We are looking for something for my two older boys. I've looked at IH and I like the style, but can't tell the right level for each child from the samples on Rainbow Resource.

My ds7.5 prints better then I do. I'm looking for a transition book. He can read at a 7th grade level and would bulk at a book that was too "babyish".

My ds6 who prints at a Kindergarten level can read at a 3rd grade level. He has a hard time writing, complains about the work and can not cut. He also hates to color.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[mcconnellboys]

I like it a lot, especially for boys. It seems to be easier for them to implement, long-term, in their lives. And I think it's easier for everyone when you get to high school or college note-taking. Most revert to printing for that, but with italics you don't have to switch back to write fast.

I've used Getty-Dubay with both my boys. I think that RRC still doesn't carry it, but you can get it from Sonlight.

Regena

[Ellie]

Children don't need a "transition" from manuscript to cursive. (In fact, this idea came from Scott Foresman, publisher of D'Nelian, 'cuz they had a product they wanted to sell in competition with ZB, and this was part of their sales pitch. I'm thinking SF also coined the term "ball and stick," to make traditional cursive sound less inviting, but I could be wrong.) Once they learn cursive, they will continue to use manuscript for things like filling out forms and labeling maps.

Many people have found that a traditional manuscript, followed by a traditional cursive, has been much easier for children to learn, *especially* if they have used Zaner Bloser, which provides specific instructions on how to write each letter (some penmanship products just sort of expect children to look at a letter and intuit how to write it, which then sometimes leads to children writing letters backwards).

[Patty Joanna]

I liked Getty Dubay a lot...and retrained my own penmanship to implement many of the elements of it, particularly those which contributed to speed and legibility. The main thing on legibility is that GD has you keep the ascenders and descenders short, so they don't interfere with the other lines of writing. This is the biggest benefit to legibility in my own writing, which was always very beautiful (just the facts, ma'am). The other thing I liked was getting "permission" to cross my t's as I went along, and to make the lower case r's the way I did it anyway.

My son...that's another story. He would have been greatly benefitted by having GD from the start--it mirrored what he was naturally inclined to write like--but alas.

[Chels~]

Loved Italic for my DS. It really took the struggle out of handwriting for him.

[Rhonda@LivingWater]

That has worked very well for my youngest who seems to have a natural bent toward italic handwriting.
I would say for your 7.5 year old, the Book C would be a good fit. It does not have a "babyish" look or feel to it at all.
Book B should fit well for your 6 year old.

[Karen in CO]

My ds had horrible penmanship after traditional print and cursive in ps. We did italic when I brought him home. His writing is not beautiful but it is much improved and legible. My dd did not like it at all and wanted pretty-loopy cursive instead. So I think that like a lot of other things about hs, it is going to be a wonderfully customized subject.

[Midwest Momma]

The shorter ascenders and descenders is one good point. I also like that there are virtually no loops, the transition to cursive is very smooth, and the end result can be beautiful handwriting. Okay, :), I'll be happy with legible.

[BarbaraL in OK]

My ds had horrible penmanship after traditional print and cursive in ps. We did italic when I brought him home. His writing is not beautiful but it is much improved and legible....
This was exactly our experience -- when my older son start homeschooling, for 5th grade, he had terrible handwriting and bad habits that I couldn't believe I'd let happen. After a year of Getty-Dubay Italic for all of us last year, now his writing is quite legible and sometimes quite nice (relatively speaking). He's now a 6th grader.

[Maxine in WA]

I love Getty Dubay and my dd has pretty handwriting because of it. It think it would be a perfect fit for your oldest. It should work for your youngest also, but if not, I've heard great things about Handwriting Without Tears.

[Country Girl]

I've thought about this program for my son but I've often heard the criticism that then kids have to learn how to read traditional cursive. For those of you who have used this, did you find this to be a problem?

Thanks!

[Jlynn]

"I've thought about this program for my son but I've often heard the criticism that then kids have to learn how to read traditional cursive. For those of you who have used this, did you find this to be a problem?"


When researching handwriting a few years back, I heard the same thing and it worried me quite a bit. Now, looking at our Japanese neighbor's kids learning 3 completely different "alphabets" has put my worries to rest a bit :) That and we use Rod & Staff Spelling and they list the words in cursive alongside the print, so I cover the printed word and have my son read the cursive. It really hasn't been that big a deal. Glad we use Getty-Dubay as its a perfect fit for my son.

[TMarie]

I loved Italic manuscript for my kids to start handwriting.
But, be warned that once Italic transitions into cursive the writing becomes awkward to write and difficult to read. Here's why:

It is not continuous stroke. At the bottom of descenders, and after some letters you must pick up your pencil to reposition before you finish the word. This makes writing take longer.

Some letters are joined in weird places. For instance, the lowercase r is joined by coming off the top to the next letter. My daughters name "Carrie" when written in perfect italic cursive lookes a lot like "Camie." Another example: lowercase t joins the next letter from the crossbar... etc.

I still use Italic for K and 1st. It is beautiful manuscript. But then we switch to Bob Jones Handwriting which is very close to italic manuscript but with a modern, non-loopy, lovely cursive. :p (and the BJ workbooks are colorful & full of useful copywork, like US history facts.)

[Country Girl]

Thanks Jlynne. Good point about others who learn multiple alphabets. It probably wouldn't be that hard to teach ds to read regular cursive, in fact, he has already picked some up just from some of the books he reads now.

Thanks!

[dirty ethel rackham]

I just love this product. My kids have very nice handwriting (including my boys.) They've received comments about it. I don't think the books are babyish other than the first book. I like the copywork in the later books. Some interesting quotes.

While reading looped cursive was a little challenge at first, my boys figured it out. Dd7 is still figuring that out. If she continues to have trouble, I may expose her to some loop cursive to help her read other writing out there.

[Shannon]

We use Getty-Dubay and really like it. I had started with some traditional ball and stick program and switched to the GD when my son was 6 1/2. I also got their book for adults/older students and have been improving my handwriting along.
Shannon