The emphasis of the Memoria Press handwriting books is review and practice. No time is wasted on intense instruction—students simply copy the words provided using the strokes indicated. There is also an unusual promotion of creativity (unusual in the sense that most other programs don't follow this pattern) in that students are encouraged to doodle and draw and space is even provided for such activity; the idea is that this will engender familiarity with the pencil and lead to better penmanship mastery.

How Do These Work?

There are quite a few books in the Memoria Press penmanship line, and they can be a little confusing to figure out. Their site opens with recommending New American Cursive, Penmanship Practice, and Teach Yourself Cursive, then lists a bunch of Copybook options. We hope to clarify what, exactly, you need when.

Copybooks I-III focus on traditional ball-and-stick printing for grades K-2. Most of the copywork involves either Scripture verses (King James Version) or children's poems by Robert Louis Stevenson, Sara Coleridge and others. There are limited teaching notes at the beginning of each consumable text, though the authors believe it's practice, not instruction, that primarily leads to better handwriting. Boxes facing the lined pages (lines are 5/8" in Books I-II, and 7/16" in Book III) offer a place for kids to draw what they're writing. Teachers are encouraged to use the verses and poems to supplement vocabulary drill and for memorization. Copybooks II & III could definitely be considered supplemental, even optional, as the kids begin the New American Cursive books in first grade. 

Memoria is keen on introducing cursive early, and the New American Cursive books eschew manuscript except as a supplement. Intended for grades 1-5, these follow a "practice, practice, practice" method and students begin by tracing letters along dotted lines before writing letters, words and sentences on their own. There is very little teacher support, though you can use these books in conjunction with the downloadable StartWrite software program to create customized worksheets. While there are five books in the New American Cursive series, there are only three levels, so you could potentially choose to start at 1st grade and finish early, reinforcing with the supplemental books, or wait on introducing cursive as late as 3rd grade.

Kids are directed in each book by Mr. Meerkat, a cartoon meerkat who teaches them how to hold their pencils and write their letters. Each consumable text follows a theme. Workbook 1 focuses exclusively on letters and short words. For Workbook 2 there two options: one focuses on quotations from famous Americans, while the other focuses on general famous quotations and Scripture verses. Workbook 3 also offers two choices; one has kids copying Scripture and lessons on manners; the other has famous quotes and lessons on manners. All Scripture verses are taken from the King James Version. Lines are 1/2" wide in Workbooks 1-2; in Workbook 3 they are 3/8".

So, back to the Copybooks. While focusing on manuscript, Copybook III is otherwise exactly the same book as Copybook Cursive I (meant to supplement NAC2). Copybook Cursive II corresponds with their Christian Studies I, Cursive III with Christian Studies II, and Cursive IV with Christian Studies III. Using the same style but meant for grades 4-6, the Latin Cursive Copybook: Latin Hymns and Prayers supplements their various Latin curricula: Latina Christiana, First Form Latin and Lingua Angelica.  By way of supplement, the three Composition & Sketchbooks offer blank 5/8", 1/2", and college ruled lined pages faced by blank pages for them to draw on.

None of the books in either series are reproducible; fortunately they aren't too expensive, and there are no accompanying teacher guides to raise the price further. The New American Cursive style, distinct to Memoria, is basically traditional cursive—it looks nice and isn't too difficult for most kids to master. The authors also claim this system is particularly left-hand friendly. Kids may not like the simple black and white appearance of each text, though Mr. Meerkat does add an element of fun.

Teach Yourself Cursive is really a non-essential for most kids, especially if you've gone through the other books. But if cursive has NOT been learned, it could be a very helpful resource especially for older kids or adults who want to improve their handwriting style. (One intriguing aspect to this book is its section on signature training.)

Our Honest Opinion:

There isn't much to be said against the constant practice method of instruction, especially when it comes to handwriting instruction. The emphasis on Scripture and virtue in all these texts make these great choices for young kids, as they will be learning God's Word as well as penmanship. We would suggest using Copybook I at kindergarten before jumping into the New American Cursive Series, but if you prefer to teach cursive first, then skip the copybooks. If you want extensive teacher material you won't find it here, but if you want solid methodology and constant practice for your kids, this is an excellent choice.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman (with additions and clarifications by Julie & Eli) 
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.