Explain that even though speedy writing is often necessary, it must be legible. Describe a time when you or someone you know wrote important information quickly and were unable to read it later. Pair students and ask them to perform a role-play. One partner should pretend to give a complicated phone message while the other partner writes down the information. The message may be given only once, and students should not edit their writing.
Partners then switch roles.
Collect the papers and keep them for a week or two. Then distribute the papers and ask students if they can read their writing. Have partners exchange papers to see if others can read their speedy writing. Explain that it is sometimes better to abbreviate a word, writing the shortened form clearly, than to scribble an illegible word.