From the Editor:

The Ministry o Education in Iceland is introducing italichandwriting in schools. That is the result o pressure romteachers who were dissatisfed with the style they had, acopperplate-based business hand.A group o Icelandic teachers who are interested in experimentalteaching o italic ormed a working party last year, They wereinterested in the method and asked Briem to put togetherinstructions that could be used with children by teachers who hadlittle or no experience with italic.The members o the working party initially paid or the printingout o their own pockets. Dr. Gunnlaugur S.E. Briem donatedhis work. The scheme has been very well received. Letters o support have come in rom handwriting experts in many parts o the world, Education authorities in other countries have suggestedcollaboration.This year the Icelandic method was cited or excellence by theNew York Type Directors Club. It is now on exhibit at the LeipzigBook Fair under the banner “Best designed books rom all overthe world”. The French Ministry o Education has recently brought out a large study, compiled by Jean Larcher, (

Les Outilsde l’Ecriture leurs Usages Sociaux

. Comité sur l’Ecriture,Ministere de l’Education Nationale, Paris, 1985) on excellencein lettering. It shows only one example on the teaching o handwriting to children, the Icelandic method.Visit the Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting site<bhhandwriting.com>