What Is The Palmer Method?

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I have written a little bit about this subject before, but wanted to do a follow-up post because I have done some more research. The Palmer Method of Penmanship was introduced in 1888 by a man named Austin Norman Palmer. Before he came along, schools taught children to write in a very flowery style that, although pretty to look at, was very difficult to learn and slow to write. I’m thinking that it was probably more like what we call calligraphy. Palmer published a handwriting book that introduced “a plain and rapid style” that would save time, he said, and it quickly gained popularity. By the early 1900s, it was THE method for teaching penmanship in all the American schools. In the 1950s, when I was in elementary and high school, I learned from this method. We actually had a special teacher that came to the school to teach us. Today, when people see my handwriting, they often comment on how neat and readable it is. I get compliments all the time on my handwriting. Unfortunately, cursive writing is NOT taught in schools anymore and with the invention of typewriters, and more recently computers, hardly anyone “writes” anymore by hand. My grandchildren do not know how to write at all and I think that is deplorable. They print their letters. That’s all they know how to do. Like first graders. I’m making an effort to teach my great grandson how to read and write in cursive (connected) letters. I was always told that if a person could not read and write, that person was illiterate. I made some notes at a recent Bible class and asked my grandson to read them and he couldn’t do it. That’s what made me think that he needs to learn how to read and write cursive writing. What do you think?