The main US handwriting styles differ in two ways: what print looks like (upright ball-and-stick, slanted with tails, simplified vertical, or italic) and how cursive follows from it (a separate looped alphabet, small added joins, or no separate alphabet at all). D'Nealian and Zaner-Bloser are the pair most often compared, but Handwriting Without Tears and italic programs are common too. None is objectively best; the right choice is usually the style your child's school uses, practiced consistently.
The four styles at a glance
| Style | Print look | Cursive transition | Typical strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zaner-Bloser | Upright ball-and-stick letters | Separate, slanted, looped cursive alphabet | Simple shapes for young hands; widely recognized |
| D'Nealian | Slanted letters, most lowercase with tails | Many letters gain joining strokes rather than new shapes | Print and cursive share a slant and many forms |
| Handwriting Without Tears | Simple vertical print, capitals taught early | Simplified cursive with fewer loops and flourishes | Few strokes; developmentally ordered lessons |
| Italic | Slightly slanted, oval letters with exit strokes | Same letters joined; no separate cursive alphabet | One alphabet from first letters to fluent writing |
Programs revise their materials over the years, so the letterforms in a particular edition may differ from the general descriptions here. When in doubt, compare against the letter chart your school or curriculum provides.
Zaner-Bloser
Zaner-Bloser is one of the longest-running handwriting programs in the US. Its traditional manuscript (print) is often called ball-and-stick: letters are built from vertical lines, circles, and slant lines, written upright, and usually started at the top. A lowercase a, for example, is a circle plus a short vertical line.
Cursive is taught later as its own alphabet. It is slanted, uses loops on letters like l, h, b, and f, and has traditional cursive capitals. Because print and cursive look quite different, learners effectively pick up a second set of shapes. Some newer editions use simplified, continuous-stroke print and cursive forms, so check which version your school follows.
Typical strengths: the separate strokes are easy to describe and model, and upright letters can be easier for young children to size on lined paper.
D'Nealian
D'Nealian was created by Donald Thurber, a teacher, as an alternative to ball-and-stick print. Its manuscript is written with a slight forward slant, and most lowercase letters are formed with one continuous stroke that ends in a small upward tail (sometimes called a "monkey tail").
Those tails are the point of the design. When children move to cursive, many letters change by adding a joining stroke instead of being relearned, and the slant is already in place. A few letters still take new shapes in cursive, but the overlap between the two alphabets is larger than in a ball-and-stick approach.
Typical strengths: print and cursive feel like one system, and continuous strokes discourage lifting the pencil mid-letter. Some teachers find that the slant and tails take more fine-motor control at first, so very young writers may need extra time with them.
Handwriting Without Tears (Learning Without Tears)
Handwriting Without Tears, now published under the Learning Without Tears name, was developed by Jan Olsen, an occupational therapist. Its print is simple and vertical, with as few strokes and as little retracing as possible. Capitals are typically taught first because they all start at the top and use straight lines and curves, and lessons follow a developmental order with hands-on activities before pencil work.
The program's cursive is simplified: fewer loops, plain capitals, and an upright or nearly upright look rather than a strong slant. Its own workbooks have used simpler line layouts than traditional three-line paper, so if you are supplementing at home, choose guide lines your child can read easily.
Typical strengths: clean, uncomplicated letterforms and a gentle sequence that many families and therapists find approachable.
Italic handwriting
Italic handwriting, taught through programs such as Getty-Dubay Italic, takes a different route. Basic italic (the print form) has a slight slant, oval rather than round letters, and short exit strokes. Cursive italic is the same alphabet with joins added, mostly simple diagonal and horizontal connections. There is no separate cursive alphabet to learn, and capitals stay largely the same in both forms.
Not every letter joins in italic; some joins are optional and certain letters are usually left unjoined, which keeps writing legible at speed. Because the shapes stay stable from first grade into adulthood, italic is also popular with older students and adults reworking their handwriting.
Typical strengths: one consistent alphabet throughout, and joined writing that stays close to print. It is less common in US public schools, so matching materials may take more searching.
Which handwriting style should you choose?
If your child is in school
Follow the school's program. Teachers model one set of letterforms, and practice at home that matches it reinforces classroom work instead of competing with it. If you aren't sure which style is used, ask for the letter chart; it's often printed inside the workbook or posted in the classroom.
If you're teaching at home
Pick one style and stay with it. Some questions that help you decide:
- Do you want print and cursive to share shapes (D'Nealian, italic), or keep them distinct (Zaner-Bloser)?
- Does your child benefit from the simplest possible early strokes (Handwriting Without Tears, ball-and-stick)?
- Do you plan to teach cursive at all? If not, any clear print style works on its own.
Any of these styles can produce neat, fluent writing. Consistency matters far more than which program you start with.
If your child switches styles
Moving schools mid-year can mean a new style. Rather than starting over, compare the two letter charts, identify the letters that actually differ (often k, f, y, and several capitals), and practice those few. Expect a short period of mixed forms; it settles with steady practice.
How to match worksheets to the style
No printable font is an exact copy of any program's alphabet, so aim for the closest match and check the letters that matter:
- Upright print styles (Zaner-Bloser, Handwriting Without Tears): use upright print tracing sheets, such as the letter worksheets.
- Italic programs: use italic handwriting worksheets, which keep the slanted, oval forms.
- Cursive practice: start with single cursive letters, then move to cursive handwriting worksheets for words. The cursive letter formation guide suggests an order that works across styles.
- D'Nealian: no general print font reproduces the tails exactly, so model the tail yourself on letters your child traces, or use practice sheets as copy work beneath your own model.
In the worksheet editor, you can choose a vertical print style, an italic style, or one of several cursive styles, including traditional and modern US cursive, then type your own letters, words, or sentences. Compare a few key letters (k, r, z, and capitals like G and Q) against your school's chart before printing a full set. For guide lines, three-line paper suits most print practice and four-line paper helps with descenders; see 3-line vs 4-line paper.
The short answer
D'Nealian and italic connect print and cursive through shared shapes, Zaner-Bloser keeps them as two distinct alphabets, and Handwriting Without Tears simplifies both. Use what your child's school uses, or choose one at home and stay consistent. Program names mentioned here belong to their respective owners, and this guide is not affiliated with any of them.