Perfecting the art of beautiful handwriting

A good handwriting goes a long way...

From the caveman’s squiggly scrawl to highly stylized computer fonts, the craft of calligraphy has evolved with time. But not all of us can boast of a hand akin to quill-wielding scholars of a bygone era.

Scribbles and doodles are most likely to pass off for handwriting today. But the writing on the wall remains the same, perhaps even more pronounced — that despite our classrooms going hi-tech, beautiful handwriting counts. That’s why handwriting as an activity features in almost all summer camps mushrooming in the city.

«Though we offer creative activities like collage making, story-telling, yoga, and vocabulary building, all parents insist on handwriting», says Owenita D’Cruz, coordinator of the summer camp at Trichy Plus. Age is not an issue here, as camps have children from kindergarten to higher secondary classes trying hard to acquire a neat hand.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Students working hard

«When it comes to scoring in exams, handwriting makes a difference. In today’s competitive examination scenario, you cannot afford to lose marks because of your writing. That’s why parents are anxious that kids should develop tidy handwriting», says A. Jeyapaul, who has been conducting classes every summer for the last 15 years at R.C. Higher Secondary School.

Adding interest

Though children themselves are anxious to acquire a neat handwriting, sitting down for two hours on a summer afternoon, poring over a notebook is definitely not very interesting. So, camps try to make the mundane exercise as interesting as possible.

«We teach writing through drawing as it is the basis for all arts and breaks the monotony», says Jeyapaul.

«Eligible handwriting is essential for any kind of written communication. Be it a leave letter or a greeting card, a neat hand makes an impression on the reader», says J.T. Chari, Projects Director of Tiruchi Kendra, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan.

As schools generally don’t devote time to focus on handwriting, summer camps that focus on individual writing style are ideal. From slate pencils to leaky fountain pens to gel pens, writing instruments of children today reflect convenience.

«Though ball point pens tend to spoil the writing of a child, there is not much choice as fountain pens are not in vogue today and most children are attuned to gel pens. In this context, working on improving handwriting is very important», Chari said.

Source: The Hindu