The end of the century

From a short perspective, it is difficult to judge which of the models in use t the end of the century are likely to remain influential. Readers are left to make their own judgement about the alphabets illustrated on the opposite page. The most widely used scheme at present is Nelson, followed perhaps by Jarman. The Nelson handwriting schemes have been modified several times since their inception in 1962. Finally, in 1997, they discarded their print script model for infants. The directives in the National Curriculum, aimed at earlier joining, started a rush by educational publishers for new teaching material. With few people left with a background in letterforms as well as in education, some compromises were inevitable. More informal letters, somewhat removed from the original concept of a model, may, in some circumstances, be easier for children and teachers alike to relate to – if so, whether more aesthetically beautiful models can be introduced later on is another issue to consider. Whether to use a single model or to give children a choice – or whether the child’s own best effort should be used as a desk strip to encourage improvement – all these ideas remain for future discussion. Will Carter’s writing from A Typ I’s ‘Dossier A-Z’. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780203027059/7b6d7755-1221-4104-9539-72a529a31973/content/figu182.jpg"/>