National Handwriting Day
23 January 2012
Author: Corrine Mihlek-Brzys
In an age of increasingly electronic-exclusive communication, handwriting has become nearly extinct—seen by today’s youth as a quaint throwback to the “old days” of written correspondence. How can we teach our children that personal penmanship is still valid in our instant-gratification “text and email” society—and maybe even more so now? Luckily for us, the perfect day to illuminate the art of handwriting arrives once a year, every January 23rd, on National Handwriting Day. Established in 1977 by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, the day was created to call attention to the importance of preserving the highly personal skill of penmanship.
That January 23rd, John Hancock’s birthday, was selected serves to further underscore the significance of the event. As the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence, and as the person whose very name has come to mean “signature,” who in history is a better symbol of handwriting in action? Use John Hancock as a jumping off point to show students the power of the pen, revealing what signatures have meant throughout history.
Underscore the fact that handwriting is as one-of-a-kind as you can get. Like a fingerprint, what is revealed when ink hits paper is unique to the individual. This is the stuff of true-crime stories, and many cases have been solved by handwriting analysis.
A fun classroom project would be to emphasize this point by having each student rewrite by hand the same short paragraph from the board or a book onto paper. Stack and shuffle the papers, and have the kids try to figure out who each author really is.
Emphasize the point that a computer font lacks the personal intimacy of the written word. Have students write a letter or poem to a friend or family member. Impart the importance of sentimental value in having such a personal piece of someone else.
And don’t forget to have fun with handwriting! Take out books on calligraphy and decorative writing, haul out the buckets of markers and dual-tipped pens, and let the kids go crazy with their creativity!
No matter how you choose to honor National Handwriting Day, the most imperative thing is that you do. Impart the need for personal handwriting to new generations, and enjoy this very special art form.