Letter guides are an important visual resource, for grade school students who are learning how to write, as well as for older students who’d like to improve their handwriting.
Letter guides should be simple but well designed, showing students the most efficient way to form each letter, so they can learn to write with legibility and fluency.
Some handwriting guides that are currently popular include:
- Zaner-Bloser: This is an old standard. Each letter is formed using a simple set of pen strokes; the cursive letters flow together smoothly. As a bonus, instructional materials are widely available from sources like the Zaner-Bloser website, educational supply stores, and free online sites.
- D’Nealian: The main claim for this program is that it eases the transition from print to cursive handwriting. This sounds like a good idea. However, in practice, I’ve found that D’Nealian letter formation is not as intuitive or simple as promised.
- Handwriting Without Tears: This program is newer. The main selling point is that the instructional exercises are based on research on how students learn handwriting.
See the links below for some free and low-priced letter guides for each type of handwriting. I’ve also included some Zaner-Bloser worksheets, which I created using ZWriting fonts.
Manuscript Letter Guides
Zaner-Bloser
- Manuscript-Capitals-ZanerBloser (Rightie/Leftie)
- Manuscript-Lowercase-ZanerBloser (Rightie)
- Manuscript-Lowercase-ZanerBloser (Leftie)
D’Nealian
Handwriting Without Tears
Cursive Letter Guides
Zaner-Bloser
- Cursive-Capitals-ZanerBloser (Rightie/Leftie)
- Cursive-Lowercase-ZanerBloser (Rightie)
- Cursive-Lowercase-ZanerBloser (Leftie)
D’Nealian
Handwriting Without Tears
More Handwriting Resources
- Handwriting guide published in 1923: Zaner-Blosser Method Writing
- White paper on handwriting development: Handwriting in the Middle Years
D’Nealian
- Online Site for Making Your Own D’Nealian Worksheets: Handwriting Worksheets
- Claims about D’Nealian style: D’Nealian Manuscript
Handwriting Without Tears