EDUCATION 



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MEASURING SCALE FOR HANDWRITING 



To measure the quality of a sample of handwriting, slide it along the scale until a writing of 

 corresponding quality is found. The number in black represents the value of the writing being 

 measured. 



(Chart provided by Leonard P. Ayres, Russell Sage Foundation, New York City.) 



ing scale, which consists of a series of samples 

 of handwriting ranged in merit from quality 

 eighteen, which is artificially perfect copper 

 plate, to quality one, which represents zero in 

 handwriting merit. 



The Ayres scale, though not the first hand- 

 writing scale made, is in general use throughout 

 the country. Dr. Leonard P. Ayres developed 

 this scale on the basis of legibility. By means 

 of an accurate system of time checks, he deter- 

 mined the length of time necessary in order to 

 read certain specimens of handwriting. Speci- 

 mens were then selected so as to form a graded 

 series of increasing legibility. 



The teacher who wishes to measure the writ- 

 ing in her room by the Ayres scale may com- 

 pare the samples of handwriting of each of her 

 pupils with each quality on the scale. For 

 example, let us suppose that a teacher of the 

 sixth grade has thirty children. After com- 

 paring the handwriting of each of these pupils 

 with each sample on the accompanying scale, 

 she finds that she has one pupil wh6se writing 

 is most like quality twenty; five that are most 



like quality thirty; seven that are most like 

 quality forty; ten that are most like quality 

 fifty, and so on. She is now interested in 

 knowing how this handwriting compares with 

 the handwriting of other children in the same 

 grade in the United States. Many teachers 

 measure the handwriting of each child at the 

 beginning and the end of the term; thus they 

 are able to tell the exact progress that each 

 child has made in the meantime. Many high 

 school principals establish the standard of 

 kandwriting required in the school, with the 

 understanding that written work handed in by 

 the children will be measured by use of the 

 scale. The children who fall below the stand- 

 ard take special instruction in handwriting. 



Millions of samples of handwriting have been 

 measured by means of these scales, so that it is 

 possible for any teacher to evaluate the work 

 her children are doing in penmanship, both as 

 to quality and as to speed, as compared with 

 the work of other children, elsewhere. By this 

 means it is possible for the efficiency of pen- 

 manship instruction to be determined. 



