River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-11-03
PENMANSHIP.
BY W. J. MOORE.

PENMANSHIP.
BY W. J. MOORE.
The following plan may suggest
some idea and help those who have
not had much experience in teaching
this topic. But few children, on en-
tering school for the first time, have
ever formed any idea of writing.
Their whole mind is given to how
objects look around and about the
school-room. Within few days he
can tell his parents the names of all
the boys in school and the first day he
can tell everything the teacher did
and almost every word he said, be-
cause it was new to him. If the
teacher was kind to every one in
school and to him, he would go home
and tell mama he liked to go to school
because the teacher liked him. But
on the other hand had the teacher
been cross, he would likely have gone
home and stayed there. Now the
same may be seen in beginning to
teach young pupils penmanship. If
the teacher writes a copy and gives it
to the pupil and reads it for him, the
pupil will be very apt to say he can
not write it. The teacher will say:
'Oh yes, that is very easy, try it. y
s. Let me look at it again; now will
read it for you, Men make money
" Now, Johnny, don't you see every
word commences with the same letter?
g Now, Johnny, be good boy and
write it the best you can for your
teacher The little boy tries very
hard because the teacher talks to him
so kindly. The little fellow may learn
to write probably after years OF toll
have gone by. To learn by this method
of teaching penmanship, is like man
pulling a load up hill; the higher up
he goes the heavier the load and the
slower he goes. Now let us act as
teachers who know how to teach.
Teach the pupil SO that he will like to
do his work. and do it well. Now it
is supposed when a pupil takes his
first lesson in penmanship, he does not
know how to make even one letter, no,
not even the form. Then claim there
is something ahead of making letters
to be learned. You may examine any
method of penmanship now in use and
you will see that every letter may be
made by means of straight lines and
curved lines. We are all very well
aware that if a right angle or crooked
line occurs in making a letter, it is
very apt to spoil the looks of it. The
same is true with straight and curved
lines, if they are made too long or too
short or too perpendicular or too
slanting. To avoid this spacing might
occur before making these things
which put together form the letters.
This might be called the staff of pen
manship. 1t is generally made of 8
lines and spaces. Though for very
fine accurate lady's handwriting it
might be made of lines and spaces.
| would not ADVISE teachers to use the
staff after the pupil gets so he can
write middling well, but in the begin
ming the staff is indispensable. This
is the first thing my pupils must make,
and they must be able to analyze and
make it before proceeding any further.
This staff can be easily learned in one
lesson if rightly taught. Second, the
position in which to sit and hold the
pencil. The teacher should always be
provided with long pencils and have
them well sharpened to loan to the
pupil during exercises, as it avoids a
disturbance. The teacher might also
provide pupils with rules, which can
be had in lots very cheaply, with
which to make the staff we haye been
talking about, as the pupil cannot
make it without he has some help in
making his lines straight across the
slate. Be very careful and not let the
pupil make the staff lines angling
across the slate, as the sitting position
governs the slant of any character he
may make. Now, after the staff and
sitting position have been learned, the
next is making characters. In this,
| for the first lesson, would have the
pupil do nothing more than make
straight marks, commencing at first
with the first line above the base line
and marking downward at an angle OF
| 500 to the base line. Have straight
marks only for the first lesson, For
the second lesson make right curve,
commencing on base line, go to one
/ space, or to line above. Third lesson,
connect right curve and straight line.
The pupil has learned how to make
two letters and make them correctly,
without ever knowing it; that was
what the teacher was coming at. How
bright and smiling the little boys
countenance must be when he has been
lead by the kind teacher to form let
tiers without ever knowing anything
about it. How eagerly his little fing-
ers will grasp the pencil to follow the
further instructions of his teacher.
The ice is broken, and he will make
the remaining letters Of the alphabet
as Though he were pulling load down
the hin and the nearer he gets TO the