[By Merlin Lessler]<\/p>\n
I\u2019m typing this article into my computer from scribbles in a notebook that are barely legible. The scribble comes when I write fast in a vain attempt to keep up with my thoughts. It\u2019s not real writing; it\u2019s connected printing. <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not my fault. Let me explain. We learned to write the alphabet in kindergarten, circa 1948: upper and lower case. It was really two distinct alphabets. <\/span><\/p>\n Then in first grade, we took on writing, now called script or cursive. We had a writing class every day to develop the skill of connecting letters in a continuous flow of loops and swirls. We practiced swirls and other shapes, filling page after page. We didn\u2019t write the ABCs until we could do the exercises properly. Only then were we allowed to take on the Palmer Method of writing. <\/span><\/p>\n The teacher collected a sample of our writing at the end of the term and placed it in a Student Writing Folder for review by Elizabeth J. Drake, the Director of Writing for the Binghamton School System. She visited every elementary classroom in every school in the city. That was a big job, since grade schools were scattered all around the city within walking distance for almost every kid in town. There was only one bus I know of, for kids living near the Vestal town line. <\/span><\/p>\n