What is Spencerian Script Handwriting? {Free Practice Worksheet}
Blog - November 15, 2021

Are you interested in Spencerian handwriting? Do you like Calligraphy? Well, check out this free printable and see! If your looking for free Spencerian script worksheets, you have come to the right place!

Spencerian Script

Rarely does my son get excited about writing until 4th grade when he began to learn about Spencerian Handwriting. I was overjoyed and therefore, did some research about it.

He attends a Great Hearts Academy where they emphasize that in order for students to become great-hearted leaders they must share in a knowledge that is rooted in the classical liberal arts tradition.

With classical education comes Spencerian handwriting, and so here we are…

What is Spencerian Handwriting?

The Spencerian script is a type of writing style. It was used in the United States from around 1850 to 1925 and was considered the standard for business correspondence before typewriters were being used.

Is Spencerian Script Calligraphy?

Yes, Spencerian is a calligraphy from the 18th century. It was created in America by Platt Rogers Spencer and initially used by him.

In many ways, as in most pointed pen calligraphy styles, the oval plays a major role in the formation of letters and strokes.

Do People Use Spencerian Penmanship Today?

It has been the preferred method of writing in almost all of America for years. Spencerian and written communication were synonymous, whether it was a letter, a business proposal, or a personal diary.

Spencerian script was so widespread and entrenched in American culture that it even made its way into the company logos for Ford and Coca-Cola.

The History of Spencerian Handwriting

In 1800, the United States had been operating as an independent country for approximately a decade. While the American spirit was still vibrant and driving change, the culture persisted with how people wrote.

It required great muscular and emotional effort, with little space for artistic or personal expression, and a very rigid structure. It seemed to be an expression of the Americans’ anger before their declaration of independence from Great Britain.

calligraphy pen make from feather

Who is Platt Rogers Spencer?

A man named after the little hamlet in which he was born 70 miles north of New York City, Platt Rogers Spencer, is one name. At the time, his birthplace of East Fishkill wasn’t recognized. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Poughkeepsie, its nearest city neighbor today.

Platt Rogers was born in East Fishkill, on November 7th, 1800. It was a tiny, sparsely populated town surrounded by dense forests and greenery.

SPENCERIAN TEXT

Spencer searched for anything he could write on because it was difficult to get paper at the time, and he wrote on what he found. Sand, ice, snow, his mother’s Bible fly leaves, and wood bark from surrounding trees.

Spencer began teaching writing classes when he was 15, and for years afterward, he concentrated on penmanship. His early interest in the natural world followed him throughout his life, and he built a style of handwriting that was influenced by his love of nature.

He began to create the bones of what would become his eponymous writing system, and he completed his most important project. Spencer’s invention was truly revolutionary in that it urged individuals to express their feelings through penmanship. This is Spencerian Script.

Now, many kids that learn classical education, like Great Hearts charter schools teach this starting in 5th grade.

if you’re looking a Spencerian handwriting practice you can download this Spencerian worksheet to practice on.

Download Upper Case Spenserian Script Alphabet Letters Here

Upper Case Alphabet Letters

Download Lowercase Spencerian Script Alphabet HERE.

Lowercase Spencerian Script Alphabet printable

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