Monthly Archives: January 2019

The world on paper

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Christian le Comte

David R. Olson is University Professor Emeritus of cognitive sciences at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto). His book The World on Paper is an essential read for anyone interested in literacy.

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Making handwriting sense

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Christian le Comte

Letters not only make visual sense. Letters make handwriting sense. Visual sense is a consequence, an effect of the rational, logical and systematic use of tools, materials and methods. The particulars, though, are embodied and can’t be explained with words, … Continue reading →

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Cataneo’s italic copybook

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Christian le Comte

Bernardino Cataneo was a writing master at the University of Siena around 1544-1560. The only known surviving exemplars of his writing are the pages in this copybook, dated 4 February 1545.

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Knowledge and experience, hand in hand

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Christian le Comte

David Kindersley, British stone carver and letter designer wrote ‘Knowledge and experience must go hand in hand if any understanding is to be achieved.’

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Optimal letter perception

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Christian le Comte

  Lately I’ve been trying to present some of the ideas expressed in this blog in graphics. This is one example that shows how the different senses influence each other. It shows the potential of writing Regular script and how … Continue reading →

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Handwriting and visual perception

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Christian le Comte

‘Ordinary copybooks seem to have followed a highly doubtful tradition of engraver’s letters — which cannot really be copied in writing, even by an adult pen’ wrote Edward Johnston some 100 years ago. Looking at contemporary copy books or ‘writing … Continue reading →

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Walking before running

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Christian le Comte

To think of teaching children regular handwriting before any cursive or running script is introduced appears commonsensical. But implementing such an idea in the Western education system is difficult.

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